


Crimson Reflections

by LaLa13, orphan_account



Category: Bandom, My Chemical Romance
Genre: AU, Ferard, Frerard, Halsey - Freeform, M/M, MCR, mafia, my chemical romance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-10
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-06-08 08:52:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15239802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaLa13/pseuds/LaLa13, https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A Mafia AU.Frank was desperate. He needed the money and would do anything to get it at this point. Even if anything meant he had to work for one of New Jersey’s most dangerous and feared men; Gerard Way.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Hi and welcome! This is my new story! I’m so excited for it that I have written the first four chapters in it already! This is just a small intro though. The next chapters are gonna get way longer and (I promise) better. Please hang with me until then and enjoy yourselves! I’ll see you on other side :)

The place felt suffocating.

Even the music coming from the stage sounded especially annoying to his ears that night. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go as far as he could from there, but he knew if he failed, he might not get anyone to go back to. So, grinding his teeth, Frank gulped the last of his whiskey in one go and stood up, willing whatever mad courage he had in him, fueled by alcohol really, and made his way to the table Gerard freaking Way sat on.

“You came,” was the first thing that left Way’s mouth the moment Frank made it to the table. He wasn’t even looking at him, nor at the lanky kid sitting opposite him and the huge guy sitting beside him. They didn’t spare him a look either. 

“I did,” he answered flatly, letting them know he wasn’t after games. He knew what they wanted of him and he was willing to do it for the money. He'd do anything for money at this point.

Way finished his glass and pushed it away from him. As if on cue, the lanky kid and the huge man stood up and left the booth in tow without another word. They didn’t look at Frank but he didn’t miss the shoulder squeeze the lanky kid gave Way’s shoulder before he followed the other man.

“Sit, Frankie. We have a lot to talk about,” Way now said, looking at Frank in such a way that Frank knew he was evaluating him still. Frank was used to it, nothing about the way he looked or acted really pointed to the nature of his job, but his reputation did. He knew it was his reputation that brought Way and his gang to him than anything else.

Frank sat down and drowned the half empty glass that was sitting on the table before him. When he put it down, Way was looking at him with a sly smile.

“What do you want me to do?” Frank decided to cut to the chase. No need to chit chat with the guy, they needed him for a job and he needed to be home soon.

“A man who knows what he wants. I like that.” 

Frank took a breath and lent back in his chair, waiting.

Way looked down momentarily and then took something out of his pocket. It took Frank until Way pushed it towards him to realize it was a photo. 

“Him.” Way said, watching Frank closely. 

Frank looked from the photo to Way’s face, trying to hide his surprise. That was it? He just wanted him to kill a man? Since when did  _ Gerard Way  _ hire people to kill people for him? And most importantly, since when did he have private meetings for such a job? The dude was the most powerful man in all of New Jersey and he needed to meet up with Frank of all people to tell him to kill someone?  _ What the hell? _

Frank nodded, despite all the questions swimming in his head. He knew he couldn’t ask any of them, after all it was his job prescription to do the job with no questions asked. He's done it before well enough, it shouldn’t be too hard.

“How soon?”

Frank could swear he saw Way smiling, but the shadows the crappy lights of the bar made it impossible to tell for sure. 

“As soon as possible,” 

Frank looked back at the photo, engraving the details of the man’s face in his head. He couldn’t say he's seen him before, but Frank's been away from the scene for so long, he couldn’t possibly say he had met every new guy there was. He flipped the photo over and memorized the guy’s name and address. 

Way sat there patiently as Frank flipped the photo over one last time and held his lighter up before lightening the thing on fire. He felt something being pushed by his feet when the last flames of the photo went down. 

“Your first payment. The rest is yours when it's done.”

Frank nodded and Way didn’t waste time, standing up. “I was told you were the best fort the job, Frankie. Don’t make me regret it.”

Frank didn’t look up from the ashes of the photo in front of him. He didn’t hear what Way said, he could only focus on the fact that he finally had money. 

Later that night, Frank would lay in his bed and think about what he exactly had gotten himself into by agreeing on doing just for the money.


	2. II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t wait to post this chapter! I love this story so much already I can’t srop writing! Next chapters are coming up very soon!

“The infamous Frank Iero.”

That was how Ray Toro decided to greet him once Frank made his way into the club. Frank would've been pissed off hadn't he loved the man like a brother.

Frank's face splitting smile wouldn't even go away even after the bone crushing hug he received. He hadn't stepped into the place in a very long time, but fuck it if it didn't feel like home. He had seen Ray though, he wouldn't have been able to survive not seeing the dude that long.

"I thought you wouldn't ever come here again, man." Ray was saying as he poured Frank his usual, and Frank realized why he loved the place so much as he slumped into a barstool, grinning to Ray.

"How's everything? How's Mia? I haven't seen her or your mom since forever man."

"It's good. Mia is fine." He answered and started playing with the glass in front of him, spinning it in circles on the bar. He smiled, "she's started applying for colleges last week."

Ray's smile was blinding, "fuck, college? When did that happen? She was twelve last week.”

"Tell me about it. She has a boyfriend too.” Fran tried not to grimace saying that, he was still getting used to the fact that his sister was moving out to college soon, let alone her having a boyfriend.

Ray whistled, "Does he knew who her brother is?"

"Haven't met the kid yet. I'll make sure he does though," he smirked to his glass, then was silent for a second, waiting for Ray to finish giving some guy his drinks.

"I took the job.”

Ray actually froze for a second. He was wiping the bar and not looking at Frank, but Frank knew he understood what he meant. Ray was the one who connected him with Way in the first place.

"I'm not—" Frank went on, hesitating, "I'm not dragging you into this. I know you have Christa and your kid now and—"

"Frank," Ray interrupted, his voice serious, "don't be an idiot. You're my family as much as Christa and Owen are." He was silent for a moment, his voice significantly dropping in volume, "I wouldn't have even told you about what... _he_ wanted, hadn't I known you needed the money. There's nothing you can do to stop me from helping in whatever he asked.”

Frank shook his head, "I don't need your help in what he asked me to do. It's pretty standard anyway."

Ray's eyebrows shot up, getting what Frank was hinting at, "then why—"

Frank shrugged, "I don't know. I don't ask questions, Ray. It's probably why he wanted me for the job anyway."

Ray was nodding before he looked up, "then what is it that you need?"

Frank smiled and gestured at the door to the bar, knowing that Ray would understand what he was implying, "I have something I need you to keep safe for me."

 

...

 

The room felt like it was closing in on him, but he regulated his breathing through his nose and closed his eyes.

Frank fucking hated hospitals.

The room they were waiting in was thankfully deserted and they weren't waiting in the corridor anymore, so there was little chance he was going to run into some random sick person breathing their germs all over the fucking place any time soon. He still felt dreadful though. Mia has long fallen asleep next to him on the chairs and was using his thigh as a pillow, so he didn't dare move.

In any way, he couldn't bolt. The doctor had told him he was going to come tell them what happened once they were done and Frank wouldn't risk not being there when that happened.

It was right after Frank has finished listening to Nirvana's In Utero for the third time that the door was opened and the surgeon Frank had spoken to earlier that day stepped through it. He looked tired as he removed hai mask and surgical cap.

Frank couldn't stand and so the doctor came closer and sat opposite him on the coffee table, "the operation went very well, Mr. Iero." He smiled tiredly, "we have been able to repair the damage. Your mother is in recovery and you can go see her anytime you want."

Frank almost leapt out of his chair to hug the doctor, but thankfully Mia still using him as a pillow stopped him from embarrassing himself. He was content however with the grin he gave the doctor and the tears of joy he had to suppress upon the news.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

The surgeon nodded, still smiling, "of course. It's my job."

 

...

 

The night went on as planned.

Frank was huddled in too many layers but he could still feel the cold sweeping through his clothes as he he entered the house. It all went well from there, however. In fact, it went so well that it was scaring Frank a little.

Maybe it was because it's been awhile, but it certainly felt like a relief once he fired his gun and the light in the man's eyes before him disappeared. Frank sighed and moved away, taking the way he used to get in to get out.

 

...

 

His mom's breathing was steady and her eyes were peacefully shut.

Frank smiled and held her hand squeezing once before letting go. He was acting like a baby, but damn it, his mom was just a day out of an open heart surgery and he was allowed to be sappy. He was so happy that she was alive and breathing and here. God, she was here. Frank was never going to let anything ever happen to her or to their family ever again.

Frank had been just a kid when he had taken his first job. His family was anciently Italian and heavily connected to the gangs' scene of New Jersey. Even when his dad had died and he had only been eight years old, his newly born sister barely a few days old, it still hadn't thoroughly cut off the connections with the family. Frank's mom, bless her, tried as hard as she could to keep them as far as she could from the whole scene, but Frank was stubborn and had had his whole set of issues with authority.

The first job had been simple and easy enough. Frank was terrified. He was sixteen with as many illegal tattoos he could get, piercings and a stupid hairdo and high off his ass. It was a stupid bet really, some dumb kid telling Frank he couldn't deliver some illegal shit somewhere and so he had done it. The money wasn’t either.

Frank was doing illegal shit for the best mob bosses in all of New Jersey before he was eighteen.

"Frankie?"

Frank looked at his mom and saw she was awake now and looking at him, her eyes barely open.

"Hey, mom," he whispered back and held her hands tighter, "how do you feel?"

His mom inhaled and answered in a raspy voice, "thirsty.”

Frank reached over and gave her the glass of water sitting on the nightstand. He helped her drink before laying her head back carefully on the pillows.

"Mia?" his mom asked once she had her breath back.

Frank pointed with his head to the small couch in the corner of the room. They had been waiting for his mom to wake up all day, "she was tired so I told her to sleep.”

His mom closed her eyes and took Frank's hand in hers again, "thank you, Frankie." Frank was nodding as acknowledgment but she held his hand tighter making him look at her, "I don't mean just for this, but for everything, hun. You—"

"It's alright, ma." Frank cut her off, smiling, he couldn't believe she was thanking him. "it was the least I could do, ma. I—" he hesitated looking down, not able to meet her eyes, "I'm sorry, mom. I'm so sorry. For everything. I'm an idiot. I'm—"

"Oh, Frankie." His mom cut him off and held him in her arms, squeezing his shoulders as best as she could, "don't, honey. It's okay. You don't have to say anything. I'm just happy you're back to us."

Frank was crying, balling like an idiot, but he didn't care. He had promised himself he'd apologize the minute his mom was okay again. He'd apologize for everything he's ever done to her and his little sister. His mom tried to shield them from the world all her life, but he threw everything she's ever done for them out of the window. He was not going to do that again. He was going to be there for her and Mia. He was going to straighten himself out.

"I'm so sorry," he sobbed into his mom's arms as she shushed him, holding him tightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! The plot will thicken and go much faster next chapter! I'll try to have it out very soon! Please, tell me what you think so far?


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to wait before posting this chapter in case I ended up changing something in the plot later, but I've been feeling pretty miserable tonight so I decided I would cheer myself up and post something.

Frank wasn’t dumb and he wasn’t a stranger to working laboriously long hours. Before, and sometimes in between jobs, he had to make ends meet and work various pointless jobs, this one by far was the most fruitless and most frustrating.

_Fucking retail work._

He knew he shouldn’t complain. He was lucky Ray could get him a job in the first place and that fast. Besides, it was a job. It paid bills and kept him and his family from being out on the streets, and most importantly, it was legal. Frank’s forgotten what the word legal even meant.

“Frank, Mark needs you in the back.”

Frank nodded without looking up, he took off his gloves before going to the back storage. Sure enough, Mark was there, stacking some light looking boxes over each other. He gestured for Frank to the others in the back without saying anything, and Frank went on and started working on them.

His phone buzzed in his pocket before he could bend down to pick up the first box.

_‘Comin’ tonight?’_

It was Ray. Frank should've known, the dude’s been inviting him over to his bar for days now, but Frank still couldn’t find time. He always went home exhausted these days, mostly crashing at his mom’s after checking on her and Mia. He was thinking about moving there for a while, his apartment rent was getting too much anyway, but he knew he was neglecting his friend these days. Maybe he should go out for a couple of hours.

_‘Sure’_

He texted back and decided he deserved a night out after all.

 

…

 

The bar was crowded that night.

Ray was working behind the bar when Frank spotted him, snapping at customers and handing out drinks distractingly, which was odd for two reasons: Ray didn’t work at his bar at that hour, he usually supervised everything and let his staff take care of everything. He still helped around but not on crowded nights like that one, and secondly, Ray was the nicest person Frank had ever known in his entire life, he never even raised his voice at annoying customers. Now he was snapping at ones who did nothing?

Frank was standing there, watching for a second. He was trying to determine if coming there that night was worth it with how crowded the place was and Ray’s obvious bad mood, when Ray raised his eyes and met Frank’s. It should've been creepy how quickly his frown turned into a smile, but it weirdly wasn’t. He waved Frank over.

“Hey, man.” Frank greeted as he claimed a barstool a girl just left, “busy night, ha?”

Ray didn't answer and he looked at Frank for a moment too long, like he wa  evaluating something. It was all it took for Frank to recognize that it wasn't just a bad mood that Ray was in. Ray was panicking about something.

“What is it?” Frank asked quickly, trying to look cool, even as his hands gripped the edge of the bar a little too tightly.

Ray took a breath, and when he spoke next his voice sounded so remorseful Frank’s heart leapt to his throat, “I tried to tell them you quit, but they wouldn't believe me. I’m so sorry, Frank. I really tried. I’m so sorry.”

Frank frowned and his mind jumped to the worst conclusions possible. Cops? Someone looking revenge? They must be someone who didn't know where he lives, maybe that is why Ray asked him to come tonight.

“Who?” Frank's voice sounded foreignly steady even for his own ears.

Ray was about to answer when a hand landed on his shoulder and he closed his eyes. Frank followed the hand to the face of some huge guy smirking. Frank took a moment to remember where he’s seen him before; he was the second dude sitting with Way the night Frank talked to him. Frank could already feel the panic in the back of his throat.

…

 

Frank fully knew where he was and how to get out. Ray’s bar wasn’t that huge. Still, he didn’t dare move for several reasons; the guy standing behind Way with a gun in his hand being the first of them.

Way wasn’t talking, but he didn’t look mad either. He just sat there looking at Frank who was sitting opposite him after being slammed down in the chair a few minutes ago. The room was dim, making the situation creepily mirror the first time Frank had met the man a few weeks ago.

What killed Frank wasn’t the fact that he was being kidnapped and interrogated by Way’s men, it was the fact that he was still in Ray’s bar. He was still in there in the back room and there was nothing he nor Ray could pretty much do about it.

“What do you want from me? I did what you wanted!” Frank snapped, breaking the silence first when no one said anything.

Way looked silently at him for a moment too long as an answer. He turned around and whispered something to the guy behind him. Frank couldn’t hear, but the guy seemed like he was about to argue before he hid his gun in the waist of his jeans and left.

Way could probably see the look in Frank’s eyes because he smirked and moved the hem of his leather jacket slightly away, enough for Frank to see the gun hidden there.

“Don’t even think about it,”

Frank rolled his eyes, “I wasn’t. I have nothing to hide or to run from you for. I did my job. Now why am I here?”

Way lent back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, “you’re here because something incongruous has happened since our agreement.”

 _Incongruous_? Who the fuck uses words like _incongruous_? Way was a fucking lunatic.

“Fucking what?” Frank snapped when Way was silent for too long again.

“I suggest you watch your tone with me, Iero. You think you don’t like me now, you don't want to see me angry.” He added the word angry with such a force at the end of his sentence that it shut Frank up immediately. Frank crossed his arms over his chest, mirroring Way.

“Now, that night when you killed Marco,” Gerard spoke the sentence like he was commenting on the whether than an actual murder. Mob bosses never used explicit words like that when talking about what they did, but Frank guessed Way was different. “You went into his house, correct?”

Frank never discussed his techniques with anyone, but Way was sending him a look that clearly said he better speak, so he gritted his teeth and nodded.

“I want you to remember that night very carefully, did you see something?”

“ _Something_?”

Way sighed and closed his eyes like Frank was the one being impossible, “something unusual. Something that didn’t fit.”

“No,” frank answered quickly before he could think better of it. Way sent him another glare, “what, you think I went there to play jigsaw puzzles with the guy? I didn’t see anything because I wasn’t looking for anything.”

“You know what I mean,” Way answered calmly back, his expression of annoyance dropping and getting replaced with honest inquiry. Frank was mesmerized for a second how that made him look younger, and pretty? Fuck, Frank really couldn’t start thinking Gerard Way was pretty, especially when he was pretty much holding a gun to his head. That was fucked up on so many levels.

“I don’t.” Frank answered, “you sent me to kill the guy,” he tried not to flinch while saying the word. If someone had a wire, he’d be fucked. “I didn’t take a tour of his fucking house. I got in, did my job and got out.”

Way actually looked disappointed at that. He dropped his eyes from Frank’s, looking at the floor, clearly thinking about something.

“Okay,” Way finally declared. He looked back at Frank, challenging, “I want you for another job.”

Frank scoffed until he realized Way wasn’t kidding. He shook his head, “I’m sorry. I quit.”

Way actually laughed and Frank smacked his head mentally at how pleasant he found the sound. Honestly, Iero, get a grip.

“No one quits this, Iero.” Way answered like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. Frank supposed it was, but, as he always did, he worked alone, that made it easier to stop; no one to answer to.

Still, Frank shrugged in response. Way could probably force him to work for him if he wanted to, find something on him, threaten him, whatever. But there was no way in hell that Frank was going to do it willingly. Besides, Way was probably better off with someone who actually wanted to work for him. Frank knew at least a dozen people who’d kill for this opportunity, no pun intended.

“I don’t make these offers very often,” Way was saying now, “And I promise you, I can be very lucrative when I want to be,” he paused before adding, “besides, I can’t imagine having the proper protection being so bad.”

It was true. That very reason was pretty much why no one worked alone in this business, but it wasn’t why Frank had quit, so it wasn’t going to work on him.

Frank was shaking his head while Way was adding, “it doesn’t get any better than this.”

“I can’t, alright?” Frank snapped before he could stop himself, still it worked because it shut Way right up. “Now, unless you’re planning on threatening me some more, I think we’re done here.”

Way narrowed his eyes. “I know you’re good, Iero, but,” he paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a notebook of all things, opening it to a page and writing something on a paper before tearing it off, “you’re not invincible.” He shoved the paper he was holding under Frank’s nose. “This is my phone number,” he added, standing up. Frank reached in for the lack of not knowing what else to do, his head still stick on the fact that it wasn’t a gun that Way had pulled from his jacket. “If you remember anything, or for whatever reason change your mind, call me.”

Frank was literally speechless. He looked at the torn off paper in his hand. There really was a phone number there with _Gerard Way_ written in an elegant handwriting underneath. He looked up at Way just in time to see him standing by the door to the room.

Way gave him a last look, probably seeing the inconcealable look of utter surprise in Frank’s eyes, “you’re really the best at what you do, Iero. My offer still stands indefinitely. See you around.” He waited for a second then turned and closed the door behind him.

..

Frank had no idea for how long he stayed there, looking from the paper with Way’s number on it to the door. He was still in shock and he didn’t even know why; the fact that he held Gerard fucking Way’s personal phone number in his hands, or the fact that he had just been offered a job by said man, or that he had been pretty much kidnapped by one of the most dangerous men in New Jersey and still lived. Probably all of the above. He was pretty sure he still didn’t believe he was unharmed either.

It was like that that Ray had found him. He seemed more shocked to find Frank alive and, well, just sitting there.

“Frank, fuck.” Ray cursed and rushed over to his best friend, checking him over like he was looking for any invisible damage. Maybe he thought Way had shot him or stabbed him somewhere hidden.

“Ray,” Frank called in an attempt to stop him, “Ray, I’m okay.”

“You’re okay.” Ray said, his tone skeptic. He waited for a moment like he was waiting for the punchline. Eventually though, he slumped into the chair Way was occupying earlier, clearly finally realizing Frank wasn’t kidding, “fucking— you scared me half to hell, man.” He breathed. “You’re sure you’re okay? They didn’t try to hurt you or anything?”

“Nah, man I’m too invincible for that.” He smirked and it earned him a well deserved glare from Ray. At least, it made the look of worry leave his face. Ray didn’t use to be like that. Back in the day, he used to compete with Frank’s recklessness pretty admirably. He changed since he had a kid. Something about being a parent apparently switched the part about carefulness and being safe in his brain. Frank wasn’t used to that look yet. It made him feel like a kid at twenty-five for God’s sake. 

Frank shoved the paper he was till holding into his pocket, fully intending on never using it and looked up just in time to see Ray had stood up and was now pacing the room back and forth in a very comical manner hadn’t been too disturbing. It reminded Frank of when he was fifteen and his mom would be worried about something reckless he’s done and about to give him a lecture on it. 

“Listen, Frank,” Ray began, sounding really troubled, “I tried to tell them you left the whole business, you know that, right?” He asked like Frank would ever doubt that he did everything in his power to keep that lunatic Way as far away from him as possible.

 Nonetheless, Ray still went on, “I told them you don’t do that shit anymore, but they wouldn’t listen.” He added then as silent for a beat, “I told them I didn’t know where you were but they said they’d go to where you lived and I thought you—”

“You thought right,” Frank stopped his friend, going to stand in front of him, realizing that if he didn’t, Ray was pretty much going to work himself into a panic attack. “I really appreciate your trying to protect me and I’m thankful you didn’t let them come to my home.” 

Ray looked visibly relieved, “I’m still sorry. I should’ve protected you more. I should’ve lied or something,”

Frank shook his head, “you did what you could. Way is relentless. He would’ve found me eventually and I would really have rather him interrogating me here than home where Mia and mom could watch.” He grinned, “You did good man. Seriously, Ray, thank you.”

Ray searched his friend’s eyes for a moment longer. Once he was satisfied with whatever he saw in there, he let out a breath. “Okay, so what did he want?”

Frank told Ray the whole thing, or whatever he understood from it anyway.

…

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, I hope you enjoyed this because shit is pretty much hitting the fan next chapter ;)


	4. IV

The house where Frank grew up and his mom and sister still lived in was ancient. Frank didn’t remember when they had moved in, he was a toddler back then, but he later was told that the house belonged to his family and that it got passed down from every generation to the next. His dad was an only child and so the house became his when Frank’s grandparents died.

Frank had always liked the house and how creepy it was. It scared him as a kid, but once he got addicted to ghost stories and horror movies, it became a thrill to live in such an old huge house, complete with lots of empty rooms and squeaky floors and doors. It got pretty scary especially at winter though, when rain and snow drowned everything and the wind made random doors slam and odd drifts came out of nowhere. 

Frank hadn’t lived in his parents’ house since he moved out after a particularly nasty fight with his mom. He was about to turn eighteen and his mom pretty much told him he needed to straighten himself out if he still wanted to live under her roof, so he left. He had had the money and was too stubborn to admit he was going to madly miss his family. 

Years later, and when the Iero family had reconciled after Mrs. Iero had fallen ill and Frank started visiting again, it only took a few days until Frank pretty much moved back in. He still kept his apartment, but he was at his mom’s pretty much every night since she got sick. 

That night, Frank went home after his bizarre encounter at Ray’s bar to find the lights turned off in the entryway of his mom’s house. 

The wind had picked up the minute Frank got closer to the house. It didn’t look like anything was amiss, except for the lights, which was the oddest thing because Frank knew his mom liked the house to be always lit to show off her garden. He doubted she changed her habits since she left the hospital. 

After making sure there was no one lurking around the bushes or the garden, Frank reached over to the gun he just went to his apartment to get (there was no way in hell he was going to walk around without it after what happened earlier that night). He moved slowly to the front door and opened it with the key his mom’s given him and got in. 

The only way to describe how the house looked when Frank stepped in was that like a hurricane had went through it and flipped everything over. 

Frank stood there by the door, looking at the living room and the small library his mom’s got there. Everything, that wasn’t broken or torn down, was on the floor; the furniture and the books all turned over and scattered everywhere. 

Frank couldn’t move, the gun almost fell from his hand as he ran upstairs to find the same scene. There was nothing unbroken or not turned over. The whole place was destroyed. And most importantly there was no one there. Neither his mom or Mia anywhere. 

 

…

 

Frank was numb. He couldn’t think or move or do anything other than run. The image of his mom’s house perched down, the images of his mom and sister swimming behind his eyes driving him mad. Had whoever taken them harmed them? Or worse… 

Frank shook his head and focused on what he was doing. He was walking. He was pretty much aware of that, but he had absolutely no idea where he was heading. It had started raining at some point and now it was borderline a downpour, soaking everything, soaking him to the bone, but he didn’t feel it. He couldn’t feel anything but the way his vision was blurring. 

Was he crying? He had to be. 

He was shivering too, the helplessness sinking into his bones like the ice water pouring over his head. He had never felt that alone in his whole life. He had never felt so helpless. He had no idea what to do. He had no idea who would’ve done this. 

Was it Way? It must’ve been him. Was he really that mad Frank had rejected him? Why had he bothered to act like he was honestly giving him an offer as if he could choose then? Giving Frank his fucking phone number like he had a choice.  

Frank should’ve known. He should’ve known that rejecting Way was never going to lead to anything good. Way was punishing him. He took his mom and sister to get back at him for saying no. 

Frank let out a pathetic sob when he realized it. He wiped his eyes angrily and held his head between his hands like he was going mad. How could he have been so  _ stupid _ ? How could he even think for one second he could really quit this job and walk away? He could never do that. He was in too deep and now the closest people to him were going to pay the price. Innocent people who had done nothing to deserve this but being related to him. 

Frank stopped in the middle of the street, coiling in on himself and shoved his fist between his teeth to stop himself from screaming, or perhaps sobbing out loud pathetically. 

_ Oh God. What had he done?  _

_ What had he done?  _

…

Ray was closing up when Frank got there. 

Frank could barely make out the shape of his best friend in the rain. Ray was moving fast locking the door and practically running to get to his car, except he stopped when he must've noticed Frank. He came closer to where Frank was standing, frozen. 

“Frank?” Ray called out loud over the rain.

Frank looked at his friend and moved towards him.

“Ray, he took them. Way took them because of me. Ray, he took them.” Frank was shouting because it was about the only thing stopping him from crumbling down. 

Ray looked like he had no idea what Frank was saying, he still got closer until he had his arm around Frank's shoulder. 

“It's okay. It's okay, Frank. Let's just get in and we'll talk, okay? Come on.” 

Frank shook his head, resisting the hand Ray was trying to pull him with inside. “No.” He shouted, “I have to go. Ray, listen, I had to tell someone meonce what happened.”

“What are you—”

“Way has taken Mia and mom. He's taken them because I said no.” Frank explained quickly, ignoring the look of horror on Ray’s face, “and I'm going to go get them.” 

“Frank, this is crazy. You should get in and we’ll—”

Frank was shaking his head before Ray could even be done with his sentence, “No. He's doing this to get back at me. I have to go to him.”

“Frank, that's suicide, you can't—”

“I don't care.” Frank cut him off again, “I didn't come here for you to talk me out of it. I only came because you're the only one I can trust with this, Ray. If something happens. or if I do start working for Way, I need someone to take care of them because I won't be able to, okay? Don't let anything happen to them, Ray.” He added holding as Ray’s hand that flew to his shoulder. 

Ray squeezed his shoulders. He nodded. “Absolutely. Don't even worry about it. You know I'll do everything I can.”

“Okay.” Frank tried to smile, “it'll be okay, okay?” Frank didn't sound convincing even to his own ears, “I just, you know now, okay?”

Ray was nodding, Frank only now seeing how the rain had soaked him through as well, his huge afro losing its glorious buffyness over his head. Frank smiled at that and hugged Ray tightly before he walked away, not looking back.

 

…

 

Frank cocked his gun and hid it in the waist of his jeans.

The rain had stopped a few minutes before Frank's made it to Gerard Way’s house. It was a huge impressive piece of architecture. Frank had never seen it before, but he’s heard stories about it. He heard about the deals that had been made there. He stood across from it, the hood of his hoodie hiding his damp hair, his hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket that was zipped up to his neck. Frank was shivering but he knew he needed to formulate some kind of plan before he stepped any closer. 

Here goes nothing. 

Frank made his way across the street, knocked on the door and waited for a minute until it was opened and he stood face to face with one of Way’s men who looked pissed off to have been woken up.

“I need to speak to Gerard Way.” 

The guy actually stared Frank down at that. He seemed like he was about to break into hysterics wasn't he clearly so pissed off. Frank, however, stood still, waiting.

“You crazy, kid? Do you have any idea what time it is? Or whose house this is?”

Frank stepped closer, “it's Gerard Way’s house and I'm not leaving until you let me talk to him or he gives me back my family.”

The man stared at Frank for a moment longer, maybe trying to figure out if he was drunk or stoned or just plain crazy. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and sighed, “Listen, kid. You're lucky I’m not in the mood to beat someone up. Why don't you just leave and we'll call it a night, ha?” The guy moved to close the door pushing Frank away.

“How about no?” Frank answered, pulling his gun out of the waist of his jeans and pointing it at the man. He was crazy. There was no way he was going to make his way into the house alone with a single gun, no matter how good he was. Fuck, he felt crazy. What the hell was he doing? 

The man in front of Frank actually chuckled. He stepped back and pulled out his own gun, he didn't even point it at Frank but it was clear that he was going to if Frank didn't step back. “Listen, kid, you don't want to do this. Don't be stupid and go home. I'm not in the mood to clean bodies right now.”

Frank stepped closer still, “I have to meet him. Let me in and you won't have to.”

The man rolled his eyes the same time Frank felt something hit head from the back and the look of the man smirking at him was the last thing he saw before he crumbled to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I love it. I hope you liked it too and if someone is actually reading this, maybe let me know? I would love any kind of feedback. enjoy :)


	5. V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took too long. Turns out taking a summer semester at uni is not the most brilliant idea to ever cross my brain.

Frank barely had his eyes open yet he could recognize the face of Gerard Way.

He could feel he was tied to something. His head hurt like hell, so did his limbs. He felt like he's been dragged through hell and back. Everything fucking hurt, even opening his eyes caused his head to pulsate with pain.

When the pain got tolerable, Frank realized he was sitting on a chair, his arms and legs tied to it. He clearly had made it into the house and hadn't been thrown out in the street, or worse, killed off. He could see Way, sitting behind a desk writing something on a paper in front of him, his long black hair falling in front of his face. He seemed to have not noticed that Frank was awake. He looked up the minute Frank started trying to break free, however..

“You're awake.”

Frank didn't look at Way when he said that so calmly, he was still trying to break loose, but whoever tied him had done it well. The fucker.

“You'll have to forgive your restrains here, I was told you tried to break into my house with a gun, so you have to understand.” Way was saying, his voice so annoyingly even.

Frank stopped fidgeting when his ties wouldn't even loosen. He looked up just in time to see Way had circled his desk and was leaning back on it in front of Frank now, his arms crossed over his chest, carefully watching.

“That's rich coming from you,” Frank spat back with as much venom he could muster in his state.

Way actually looked confused at that, but didn't reply, watching Frank still trying to break free once more, but he couldn't even move his arms. Frank wanted to punch that stupid surprised expression right off Way’s stupid face, if he could just fucking _move_.

“I've done my share of illegal things. You'll have to be more specific.” Way replied evenly.

“My family, you fucking asshole! My sister and mother you took to get back at me!” Frank gritted through his teeth, “I knew you were an asshole, but harming a kid? That's low even for you.”

Way's expression got even more confused at that, seeming entirely not phased by the insults Frank was throwing at him. “Someone took away your family?”

Frank sneered and pulled at his restrains so much that he could feel the robes cutting through his wrists, “ _you_ did! And why, ha? Because I wouldn't fucking work for you?”

Way shrugged, calmly ignoring the way Frank was thrashing around where he was tied, “it wasn't me. I only offered you a job. There's no vendetta between us, why would I want to harm your family? Besides, if I were after you, trust that I wouldn't go after innocent people who had nothing to do with it. Especially not a child.”

Frank scoffed and looked away. He hated how he believed him. He hated that he was making sense. He hated it.

“I'll untie you now, so we can talk properly, but if you try anything Tony is still outside.” Way warned once Frank was calm enough. He made his way to Frank and bent down to untie his wrists first.

Tony must've been the guy who hit Frank on the head. Frank sighed and tried to stop himself from doing something stupid like hitting the other man while he was untying him. Instead, he focused on how the hands over his felt so soft and warm on his cold skin as they worked on the robes. Frank's hands went limp underneath Way’s. It must've been not that long that Frank's been out of it, because he could feel his clothes stuck against his body, cold and damp.

Way moved away once Frank was free. He walked to the far end of the room and came back with two glasses of whisky handing one to Frank. Frank only then noticed the other man was wearing a white dress shirt with sleeves pushed up to his elbows. He hadn’t been sleeping when Frank had got there earlier then.  

Frank drowned his whiskey in one go, stopping himself from staring at the other man for too long. He stood up and wiped his lips. The alcohol instantly calmed him, yet his mind was still racing.

“I'll work for you.”

Way looked as if that was the last thing he expected to come out of Frank's mouth. He sipped from his glass and looked back at Frank as if expecting him to add something else.

“You're not thinking straight.”

“What? You don't want me anymore?” Frank wasn't thinking straight. He hadn't been thinking straight since he saw his little sister’s bedroom flipped upside down. He wasn't about to argue with that, but it stung, for some reason, the thought that Way didn't want him to work for him anymore.

Way was chuckling, “I don't go back on my word. I told you my offer was extended indefinitely.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s nothing.” He shrugged, “You’re good at what you do, you can be very useful to us. I'm just not sure you have the right motives to accept my offer, that’s all. ”

“What does my motive matter then? I'm not saying I don't have any, but I don't go back on my word either. I'll work for you if you find them for me. I'll do whatever you want if you did.”

Way looked thoughtful. Frank knew he sounded desperate, but the truth was that he was, there was no reason to hide it.hhdbd

“Very well.” Way said at last, circling his desk once more and sitting back in his chair.

Frank still didn't believe it, he stood there like an idiot until Way gestured for him to sit down. He did.

“Why don't we start with any recent enemies you have made. That might be a good place to start from.” Way's voice was clinical. Frank was glad he didn't offer for them to speak about it later.

Frank shook his head. “I don't have any. I haven't worked in a while. Yours was the first job I've taken in a year.”

Way actually looked surprised, but didn't comment. He took out a paper and picked up a pen. He scribbled something then stared at the paper thoughtfully, “I have someone who might help.” He said that and stood up, “stay here, I'll be right back.”

Way was out of the room before Frank could react.

…

So Frank totally didn’t just go through every book Gerard Way had in his office. Nope. He didn’t. _At all._

There were still books on the upper shelves that he couldn’t reach is what he meant, that is.

 _Whatever_. Frank liked books. He wasn’t scared to admit it. It was true he dropped out of high school before graduation, but that wasn’t because he hated learning, it was because he hated what his school liked to call an “education”. He had always liked to read.

Besides, Way had what was like a gazillion comic books all over his shelves so it wasn’t like he had every book Richard Dawkins’ ever written. The man’s record collection wasn’t too bad either, but Frank wasn’t in the mood to listen to music.

Why was Frank going through every book in Gerard Way’s office, you might ask?

Well, let’s say he was going to go mad if he didn’t. Or it was because said man had given him permission after he declared he got a lead on where Frank’s family was and that he wasn’t taking Frank with him.

Even remembering that conversation made Frank’s hands shake, but he knew Way had a point. Those people were most probably after Frank, and so must know who he was and how he looked like, Way getting in there wouldn’t be as suspicious as having Frank tailing behind him.

So Frank tried to trust Way’s judgment, but it was getting hard to keep his mind from jumping to conclusions. What if Way lied? What if he sold Frank out? How could Frank trust him in the first place? The man conned people for a living.

Eventually, the stress and being up all night tired Frank out and he made himself settle in on the couch and attempt to make a reread of the first issue of Sandman.

…

Frank was aware there was a hand on his shoulder and someone calling his name.

He must’ve fallen asleep somewhere. His body ached and begged to stay rested. He wasn’t hangover, he knew that much, but he felt like he’s been run over by a truck. He didn’t want to wake up.

“Iero?” The voice called again and Frank grimaced, he hated being called that. It made him feel like he was back at school.

“Iero, come on, your mom wants to speak to you.”

Then it clicked. _Fuck._  How could he have fallen asleep?

“Where is she?” Was the first thing that got out of Frank’s mouth when he sat back up and faced Way who was sitting opposite him.

“She’s okay.” Way said waving his arms in an attempt to calm Frank down. “She’s not here but she’s okay.”

“How is she not here?” Frank’s brain was foggy. He still remembered his conversation with Way that morning (or was it night?) and how he broke into his house thinking the man had taken his mom and sister away, but he didn’t follow through why his mom wasn’t there if Way had found her.

“It’s a long story, but I had them transported to a safe house. It’s better they stay there.”

Frank sat properly and rubbed his eyes until he was oriented enough to his surroundings. “So they’re okay?” He asked once his brain started working properly.

“They are,” Way nodded, “they’re perfectly fine. Mia made me promise to have you call her once I was back though.”

Frank almost laughed out loud and hugged the man for the hell of it, but he held himself in check when he remembered who the man who sat beside him was. Instead, he rubbed his face with his hands, sighing.

“What happened? Who was it?”

“I’ll tell you later. Now I need you to call your family, then we’ll talk.” Way said handing Frank a phone and patting his knee before standing up, making his way to the door. “The number is the first one in the contact list.”

“It’s Frank,” Frank called back at Way making him stop and look back at him, questioning, “Iero makes me feel like I’m back at school.” He shuddered.

Way smiled before he opened the door, “fine, then I’m Gerard. Way makes me feel like I’m fifty.” He said, giving Frank his back, already walking out.

Frank couldn’t help but stare as Way— _Gerard_ closed the door behind him, leaving Frank sitting on the couch by himself.

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really, really loved writing this one. Ahhh THEY'RE BONDING AND HAVING FEELINGS AND SHIT AND IM SO HAPPY EVEN THOUGH I WROTE IT.


	6. VI

“All done?”

Gerard was asking, having gotten into the room just after Frank hung up the phone with his mom. He nodded before he looked up to see Gerard going to the liquor cabinet he had in his office. A moment later, he came over giving Frank a glass and sat opposite him. He didn’t speak for a while, as if sensing Frank’s confusion. 

Frank drowned his drink in one go. 

“So those people  _ were _ after me.”

Gerard nodded before Frank was done asking. Frank realized his mom must’ve told Gerard the same as she’s told him. 

_ God, he needed another drink.  _

“Do you mind?” He asked, already making his way to the liquor cabinet. Gerard didn’t say anything to that so Frank assumed it was okay. He poured himself another generous drink. 

“Frank,” Gerard said after Frank had drowned his second drink. Frank turned to him. “I think I should tell you those people are not your enemies alone.” 

Frank actually laughed, “what, you’re saying it is not just me they want his head?” 

Gerard shook his head, completely serious, leaning back on his chair, “for slightly different reasons, but no, you’re not alone. I have my own personal conflict with them.” 

_ If only you could be a little vaguer. _ Frank wanted to say but didn’t. He rubbed his face with his hand.  _ This was too much.  _

“If it makes you feel any better, killing Marco was an important nail in their coffin.”

Frank looked at Gerard, coming to sit opposite him, “you don’t think they know it’s—”

Gerard shook his head, “I don’t think kidnapping your mom and sister would’ve been their reaction to knowing. They’d want to get back at me directly, taking in consideration I’m the one who sent you.” 

“Fucking hell,” Frank cursed, shaking his head. Neither one of them said anything for a while. 

“Frank?” 

“What?” Frank asked, turning his head in Gerard’s direction.

Gerard seemed thoughtful for a second, considering his next words, “I know you have already accepted my offer, but I know you took that decision under  _ difficult _ circumstances than anything else, and I’m willing to forget that if you want me to.”

Frank was actually speechless for a second. He didn’t know what to say and was thankful when there was a knock on the door, startling both of them. Whoever it was, though, just opened the door and got in not waiting to be invited. 

It was the lanky kid who was with Gerard the other night. He looked skinnier and bonnier somehow in the strong lights of Gerard office, and he seemed quit startled when he apparently noticed Gerard wasn’t alone. 

“Gerard, sorry, I thought you were alone.” He apologized, but his voice didn’t show that much of an apologetic tone.  

Gerard turned and looked at the kid, giving him a warm smile that confused Frank a little. 

“It’s alright, Mikes, I was just speaking with Frank.” If Frank wasn’t confused enough, Gerard’s voice acquired this tone of affection it didn’t have before.

Mikey looked at Frank blankly until recognition sat in his eyes, “you’re Frank, right, from the other night.” He extended his hand and shook Frank’s hand. 

“I’m Mikey. Mikey Way.” 

“Mikey is my brother, Frank.” Gerard supplied, still smiling. 

“Yes, and I would’ve met you properly the other night, but my brother seemed to have you rather busy.” He said with a knowing look in Gerard’s direction. 

Frank decided he liked Mikey Way. 

 

…

 

Ray and Christa’s apartment has always been one of Frank’s most favorite places in the world. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it had always reminded him of his childhood home since the two got married and now had a toddler running around the place all the time. A crying adorable toddler that Frank adored, but would never admit to it out loud. 

It was true that the small apartment wasn’t in a great neighborhood, but Ray and Christa made it work. They always had. Frank was doubtful of it at first when Ray told him they were having a baby. He knew Ray and Christa were great people and would make great parents, but having a family in the midst of their lives? It was dangerous. Frank should know. 

Frank wondered when he started considering the small apartment a sanctuary. Probably by the time Christa insisted he was being irrational by stopping to visit when they had the baby because he didn’t want to bring them into trouble, calling him a moron might have been the thing that did the trick though. 

Frank sat there in the Toros’ living room, holding a cup of tea of all things, like he’s always been a part of that quiet domestic life and had not just come back from a house filled with criminals and killers. Like  _ he _ wasn’t a killer and a criminal. It was very comical if you thought about it, Frank wasn’t in the mood to laugh, but he thought it very comical nonetheless. 

That was how Christa found him, chuckling like a moron to himself. 

“What’s so funny?” She asked, balancing Owen on her hip and smiling uncertainty. 

Frank shook his head, still smiling, “nothing. Sleep deprivation must’ve fried my brain or something.”

Christa got that weird motherly protective look in her eyes that Frank had to avert his eyes. She came closer sitting beside him and rubbing his shoulder with her free hand. “Oh, you poor thing. Is everything okay?”

Frank sipped on his tea and cleared his voice. So Ray hadn’t told her. “Everything is fine, just weird sleep schedule, that’s all.”

“You know you could sleep here if you want, I’ll clear up the couch for you,” she balanced Owen on her lap as she said that, who laughed aloud and made grabby hands at her. 

Frank shook his head, “it’s okay. I just didn’t want to be alone right now.”

“Oh, hun, you know you could come here anytime you want. I can call Ray if you like. I’m sure he’ll come as fast as he can. You can speak to me too if you want,” she smiled, “I’m not Ray, but I can listen.” 

Frank felt warm at her words and horrible at the same time. Maybe he shouldn't have come there after all. He should've thought much more carefully about coming to his best friend’s family home when he knew the people coming after him, but he couldn’t help it. He couldn’t go back to his apartment. He couldn’t be alone after what he’s heard. 

“Frankie, is everything okay, hun?” Christa’s voice was careful now, probably seeing the look on Frank’s face.  

Frank wanted to tell her everything but he couldn’t, so he smiled and pretended to yawn, “everything is okay. I think I’ll take your offer on that nap though.” 

She smiled excitedly at that, “I’ll get you some blankets then.” She gave him Owen at that and stood up. 

Frank started making funny faces at the giggling toddler the minute Christa turned her back. 

 

…

 

“Has he said anything?”

“No, he just seemed really tired and wanted to sleep.”

“How long has he been here?”

“A couple hours,” pause, “Ray, he seemed really upset earlier. Did anything happen?”

Frank couldn’t hear what Ray’s answer was, but he opened his eyes and could see a smiling Owen sitting opposite him, giggling and playing with his toys, like all was right in the world. Ray and Christa were by the door, talking in loud whispers like he couldn’t hear them in the small apartment. 

Frank sighed and got up. He sat there with a blanket around his shoulders, staring miserably at the turned off tv behind Owen. 

“So, I only get a text message saying you, Mia and Linda are okay after that fright you gave me the other night?”

Frank heard Ray say as he sat beside him, he rubbed his eyes and dropped the blanket. 

“Sorry, man.” He answered, “I couldn’t say more.”

“Frank,” Ray’s voice got a concerned edge to it, “You okay? What happened?”

Frank sighed. Where should he begin? 

 

...

 

It was surprising really how the thing that took a long time for Ray’s head to wrap around was the fact that Gerard Way found Frank’s family and not the reason his family got kidnapped in the first place.

“Ray, you’re missing the point. These people are after  _ me _ . They want  _ my  _ head for something my dad’s done before I was even born.”

“So you went to Gerard Way?”

“I didn’t  _ go  _ to him. It just happened.”

Ray all but rolled his eyes.

They were alone now, Christa taking Owen to her mother after telling Frank to make himself totally at home and that he was welcome to stay for as long as he liked. Sometimes Frank forgot how awesome Christa could be. 

“Fine,” Frank gave up, “it happened, okay? I had to find my family and I did what I had to do, okay?”

Ray actually looked offended, “Frank, do you really think I’m judging you for that?”

Frank shrugged and waved his hand in the air, dismissing. “Listen, it happened and I’m telling you this because you’re about the only person I trust at this point. Okay?” He said too quickly, but knew Ray must’ve gotten the idea because he was silent for a while.

“Just, be careful, will you?” Ray said and before Frank could object he waved his hand in the air to silence him, “I know. I know. Trust me. But, Frank, you’ve never worked for someone before. I mean, not like this. I know you. You’re stubborn and reckless and, most importantly, hate taking commands from anyone. Way’s different. You need to be extra careful about this. You can’t afford to make an enemy out of Gerard Way. Do you understand?” 

Frank felt pretty much like a teenager being scolded for disobeying his parents. He would’ve laughed Ray’s words off hadn’t he looked so deadly serious, so he just nodded.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> things are getting more complicated and I'm loving it!


	7. VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m so, so sorry for how late this is. A lot had happened since I posted the last chapter, basically I moved to Sweden and didn’t have WiFi or a laptop for a while and so I couldn’t write or update. I also had to get back in the proper mentality for this story which included lots of playlists and reading about mobs and the mafia (I’m suspecting my search history will put me in real trouble if someone sees it haha).
> 
> Anyway, sorry for babbling, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I really like it even if not a lot of things happen. I just build the world of the story and the characters a bit more.

It turned out Ray wasn’t absolutely right. 

Frank didn’t dislike taking orders. He just wasn’t used to them and absolutely loathed them. 

Admittedly, Frank had worked his share of odd jobs before, that pretty much included answering to asshole bosses, but he had always considered it more of a job away from his job where he didn't have anyone to tell him what to do. Tonight, Frank had to grind his teeth and follow Gerard Way out of the door when he gestured for him to, no questions asked. 

It wasn’t like Gerard was being an asshole. In fact, so far, the man has been nothing but respectful of his men, including Frank and it turned out he just needed someone to be with him while he met with someone for a routine meeting that night anyway. 

Still, Frank felt weird about it. Something about not knowing why he was doing what he was doing was getting to him. He was used to knowing everything. He was used to trusting his own judgment regarding things, now he had to trust Gerard’s or his men’s. It felt weird, to say the least, but then Frank trusted Gerard’s judgment, and that alone was making Frank wonder if he’s gone completely crazy. Since when did he trust anyone in this business? Since when he trusted anyone, period? 

Maybe it had to do with the fact that the man had returned his family for him. He still hadn’t told Frank what he exactly did that night. He just said he did what he had to do. The people after Frank were still after him though and Frank wasn’t taking it lightly not knowing what the hell Gerard was cooking. He had told Frank that he had his own issues with Marco’s people and that in time he was going to include Frank on it, when his expertises were needed, but Frank still felt anxious about it. 

Right now, Frank was sitting on a bed in a room in Herards house. He didn’t want to stay there, he had his own apartment for goodness’ sake, but Gerard wouldn’t listen, he insisted it was safer for him to stay there, so he did. 

Frank didn’t dislike the house. It was big and drifty and definitely reminded him of his mom’s house, but it still wasn’t his. He was a guest and he hated that. 

James, one of Gerard’s men and the guy who’s been with him and Mikey the night Frank first met them, had offered Frank a tour of the house invented him to play poker for a while, which Mikeyway had joined in once he was back home, from wherever he left to with Tony trailing behind him. 

Beside James and Mikey, there was Tony and Mark who were pretty much lived in the house as well. At least, that’s how they introduced themselves to Frank after apologizing for hitting him on the head (it was Tony who answered the door and Mark who hit Frank). 

If Frank was being honest, he felt a little weird at how well he got along with everyone who worked with Gerard. It felt like his place in there had been made for him since a long time ago and all he needed to do was just to step into it. 

...

Morning couldn’t have come fast enough, Frank was up and looking through the house for the kitchen before the first sun ray was out, and as expected, he was lost before he knew where to look.

That was at least, until he heard loud voices arguing and he let his curiosity take the best part of him and he followed the noises to a room Frank was sure was in the other side of the house. 

The door was barely open and the voices inside were clear enough once he stood by it. He recognized Gerard’s voice immediately and then the monotone of Mikey’s voice was obvious as well. They were clearly in a heated argument. 

“Mikey, drop it. I can take care of it. Alone.” Gerard’s voice was more dismissive than annoyed. 

“That’s not what I mean, Gee.” Mikey sounded as monotone as ever, but there was a tone of concern underneath it. “I’m just saying that you should take someone with you.” 

“I don’t need anyone with me.” 

“But I do. You won’t let me out of your sights without Mark watching me like a hawk. I get to do the same.” 

“That’s different.” 

“How’s that different?” 

“Because I’m not the one with an entire fucking mob after me!” Now Gerard’s voice clearly showed anger and that seemed to shut Mikey up if only for a moment.  
Gerard was sighing now, “look, Mikes, I’ll be okay, okay?” he was silent for a second, “just, let me deal with it.”

When there was no more talking and now there were only feet shuffling on the ground, Frank walked away from the door and by some miraculous way found the kitchen door where Tony was already there drinking coffee.

…

Two weeks of absolutely no new news were driving Frank slightly mad. He contacted his family occasionally on the internet, but hadn’t visited them yet. He knew it was better this way, if someone was to follow him, his family could be in grave danger or worse. So that plan resulted in Frank being at Gerard’s house a lot more than he had intended when he first started working for him. 

The guys didn’t seem to mind, they never commented at the fact that he seemed to be there all the time, doing nothing particularly useful. Especially Tony and Mark who always seemed excited at the prospect of having someone another poker player. Mikey seemed as equally thrilled to have Frank around, even though he never really left the house for jobs like the others, although not from lack of trying. Frank had caught Gerard refusing to let him leave with them multiple times. Frank suspected it had to do with the argument he almost walked on in his first couple of days there, but he didn’t ask. 

It was Gerard who remained as reclusive as possible, however, and Frank had quickly realized that it wasn’t because he thought himself to be better than his men, it was just Gerard. He liked to work himself to death and spend hours on end held up in his office. He often didn’t even know what time it was once he emerged from there like a vampire (ironically, looking for coffee instead of blood). Frank would run into him sometimes in the kitchen or the living room especially during Frank’s particularly nasty insomnia episodes that would often leave him awake at the oddest of hours. They often didn’t talk, but sometimes Gerard would sit with him and watch whatever movie Frank had just caught on tv, or they’d drink coffee in the kitchen in the morning in grumpy silence, well, more grumpy silent Gerard until he would have a sufficient amount of caffeine in his system. 

That morning, however, Gerard had emerged from his office in a suitable hour for coffee for a change, bleary eyed and looking for a caffeine like an addict looking for his next fix. Frank hadn’t seen him in two days at that point. 

“Morning,” Frank said as he handed him a cup of coffee.  
Gerard mumbled something in response as acknowledgment and apparently had taken a sip too soon because he stuck his tongue out and held it between his fingers, grimacing in pain. “Ouh. Hurts,” he mumbled when Frank looked at him. 

Frank was laughing when Gerard opened his eyes and smiled sheepishly, “you’re laughing at me.” He said and turned adorably pink. Frank took a moment to appreciate the fact and another to realize he just saw Gerard Way of all people burn his tongue on hot coffee and blush because someone was laughing at him, and look absolutely adorable doing so. 

When Frank had snapped out of it, Gerard was now finishing off his cup and already searching for another, acting like nothing has just happened, which, Frank realized, was what had happened… or didn’t happen. Ugh, maybe he was the one under-caffeinated. 

“Hey, Frank, Gee.”

Frank’s head snapped to the door, already knowing it was Mikey who appeared by the door, clearly looking for coffee as well, but managing to keep his ability of human communication far better than his older brother. He walked to the coffee machine and poured himself some. 

“So you’re coming today?” Mikey asked after he drowned half of his cup, addressing Frank, who tried to convey his confusion as to where making Mikey automatically turn to glare at Gerard. “You said you’d tell him.” He accused, and Frank realized Mikeyway was probably the only person he had seen who could use that tone with Gerard. He tried to hide his smile behind the rim of his cup as Gerard grimaced and hit himself on the forehead. 

“It was today?” He asked, “shit, I forgot.”

“Of course you’ll keep forgetting with your hours. Honestly, Gee, if you don’t go out in the sun you’ll end up with scurvy or something!” Mikey answered back causing the grimace on Gerard’s face to deepen.  
“I think you mean osteomalacia.” Frank supplied and when both Way brothers’ heads snapped in his direction, looking at him like he’s just grew another head, “the lack of sun exposure causes vitamin D deficiency which causes osteomalacia,” he explained and then when neither looked away from him, he added: “the lack of vitamin C causes scurvy.” Still looking, “what’s today?” He asked instead of explaining further and that caused them to look at each other now, exchanging looks and talking in language only the other seemed to understand. 

“Um, actually,” Gerard started, placing his cup on the counter carefully before he looked in Frank’s direction, “I was speaking with Mikey yesterday,”

“Three days ago,” Mikey corrected causing Gerard to close his eyes and sigh. 

“Fine, Jesus, three days ago,” he pointed that at Mikey then turned at Frank, “about how since the safe house seems untraceable so far and maybe if you liked to see your family you could go with him.” 

“Of course I want to,” he exclaimed and all but jumped in excitement, “when?” 

Gerard was smiling at him and Frank decided to explain the jump in his heart rate as excitement for seeing his family at last and not at how Gerard’s smile seemed to lighten his whole face and make him look like a boy, a very beautiful boy. 

“Whenever you’re ready actually,” Mikey answered, seeming as excited as Frank if not more and causing Frank’s head to snap in his direction, “I have nothing to do all day.” 

That explained it, Frank thought and then put his own cup away before moving to the kitchen door, “I’ll get my jacket and meet you at the door?” He kind of asked and when Mikey nodded he rushed through the door, almost skipping like a five year old on his way upstairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think?


	8. VIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took forever to come out. Sorry about that. I wasn’t in a very creative mood for the past few weeks so anything I wrote I deleted. I like this one though. A lot happens and it’s the longest chapter so far, so I hope that makes up for the lateness?

So Frank really hadn’t meant to witness the scene he just almost walked on.

He was actually looking for Gerard. He had grabbed his jacket from upstairs and skipped down the stairs like a five-year-old to catch up with Mikey by the door, but when he couldn’t find Gerard in the kitchen he went to the living room, hoping to catch him and tell him they were leaving, he had heard some noise from the basement and went there to check it out, only to find the this instead.

There was three people in there. Gerard, Tony and a strange woman (Frank had no idea how she got into the house in the first place) visibly shaking with sobs, on her knees, her blonde shoulder cut hair obscuring her face, looking up at Gerard while Tony stood between them.

She was begging on her knees, Frank realized when she sobbed harder, shaking and looking at the gun Tony was pointing between her eyes. Tony was blocking her from Gerard. Frank couldn’t do anything but stare.

“Gerard,” her voice was strangled and she was clearly crying, “Gerard, please. You can’t do this. I didn’t have a choice. Please. I have a family, please. They have no one but me. You can’t do this. You can’t kill me, _please_.”

Gerard scoffed her words heartlessly, “you should’ve thought about that before you betrayed us.”

“They made me do it.” She was crying out loud now, sobbing into her hands that were covering her face, repeating the sentence: _they made me_  through heart wrenching sobs over and over again.

It was fair to say that Frank’s heard his share of begging before. He’s done all kinds of things for money before, he’s killed people without a second thought, so logically the scene unfolding in front him shouldn’t have been such an emotional experience. To be fair though, none of the people Frank’s threatened or even killed had ever begged like that. None feigned innocence like that, and Frank knew it was crazy. He wasn’t some messiah on a mission, he knew that. He didn’t kill bad guys. He killed whoever he was told to kill. He shouldn’t be acting like it was the first time he ever saw a mob in action.

Still, the way Gerard stood. The way he scorned at the woman in a way Frank’s never seen him do before. The way the young woman was on her knees, literally fucking begging for her life, struck Frank frozen. He couldn’t move away from the scene even if he wanted to.

The whole thing seemed to stretch for infinity and Frank felt like it’s been hours before Gerard moved back and signaled for Tony to use his gun. 

The blonde woman was on the ground, bleeding through a hole in her skull before Frank could blink.

…

Mikey kept giving him weird looks.

Frank tried to ignore it. God knew he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it, or basically had any idea what he would say if he wanted to talk about it, but Mikey, being a man of few words, had a stare that rivaled any nagging he could ever come up with. It was impressive really how he could drill holes into the side of Frank’s head while still driving the car so smoothly.

“We’re half an hour away from the house.” Mikey announced, monotonously as ever.

Frank blinked at the road, trying to make sense of where they were since he hasn’t been seeing the road at all so far, the scene he’s just witnessed still playing in his head. He eventually nodded to Mikey’s words, even though he still had no idea where they were at that point. All he could tell from what he was seeing that they were in a hiking area somewhere, although the Jeep Mikey was driving was holding up the road very well so far, and the way the road was running smoothly didn’t leave much room for him not to think, and think he did.

He mostly felt confused, if he was being honest. What was he expecting? He’s been doing this for years, the year he’s spent away was nothing compared to that. Gerard was doing his business as well. Frank knew Gerard, well, not actually, but he’s heard enough about him throughout the years he’s spent in this business. The man was unforgiving and ruthless. It was common knowledge. Frank’s heard enough stories, in fact, to know to avoid him and his men at all costs, until now, that was. So what the hell was he doing getting surprised at Gerard living up to his reputation?

It must’ve been those weeks he’s spent in that damn house that messed up his brain. There was no other explanation for how he felt like the man who killed the begging woman was not the same person Frank’s trusting with his mom and baby sister’s life. He wasn’t the same man he watched movies with in the middle of the night, the man who kept nodding off during reruns of bad vampire movies.

But he was, and the problem that was becoming apparent was that Frank had no idea how he was going to deal with it.

Deal with it? What was he even thinking about? He didn’t have to deal with anything that Gerard Way did or didn’t do. Since when have they become friends? They weren’t. What they had was a simple confluence of interest. That was it. Frank just had to stop being an idiot for one second and focus on that.

After a firm nod at his thoughts, Frank was startled when Mikey has cut the engine and stopped the car by the road. Frank’s first thought was that something was wrong; they were being followed or there was something wrong with the car. His first instinct was to reach for his gun.

Mikey apparently had sensed that Frank was freaking out because he looked at him and said, “Frank, it’s okay. Nothing is wrong.” He gestured with his hands calmly, “I just wanted to tell you something and I can’t concentrate while driving.”

Frank almost laughed, instead he sighed and put his gun back in its place. He looked questionably at Mikey without saying anything.  

“I just,” Mikey started, casting his eyes away from Frank’s and seeming to think hard about what he was going to say next. “You know Gerard is not a monster.”

Frank tried not to flinch. He tried to appear like he was surprised by the sudden statement, but he couldn’t. How did Mikey even know? He tried to speak, to say something, but all he came up with was his jaw dropping to the floor.

“I know you saw—” Mikey went on, he swallowed and closed his eyes, “whatever he did in that basement.” He said that quickly and gave Frank a quick glance, but it was enough for Frank to see the hint of guilt in his eyes, and hadn’t he seen Gerard give the order to Tony, he would’ve thought it was Mikey who pulled the trigger. Frank was struck by how young he looked then; Mikey looked like a kid who was over his head and who was perfectly aware of that fact. 

“Mikey,” he started not even knowing where he was going, but Mikey cut him off, thankfully.

“He would never hurt anyone innocent.” Mikey gushed out, startling Frank further. “He’s trying to protec—“ Mikey took a breath then and sighed, stopping himself. “He wouldn’t hurt anyone innocent.” He repeated.

That woman seemed pretty innocent to me. Frank wanted to say but bit his tongue, preferring to just nod silently.

“Just,” Mikey began again, ignoring Frank’s nod, or maybe not noticing it. He looked at Frank and held his gaze now, “try not to judge him too fast, okay?” 

Frank wanted to argue that if there was anything to judge, he was the last person who had the right to. He wasn’t a good guy, he wasn’t as bad as Gerard, but still he was pretty close, and even though what he saw shock him a little, it wasn’t like he hadn’t been seeing similar scenes everyday for the past ten years of his life. It was pretty mild actually compared to the more graphic scenes Frank’s been witnessed to before.

“I wish I could tell you more, but, can you trust me on this?” Mikey said too fast, but he was looking Frank in the eyes too intensely that Frank just had to nod. Whatever Mikey saw in his eyes though must’ve did the trick because he nodded too and turned the engine back on before he continued driving.

…

Frank hadn’t realized how much he’s missed his family till that very moment.

He and Mikey had arrived about half an hour earlier. It turned out that the “safe house” was in fact a small cottage in a remote area in the middle of the woods. Mikey told him it belonged to their family and was usually used for when someone would go to the woods for hunting trips, which usually happened in the summer, during the winter it was completely empty and there was no one for miles.

It was beautiful and cozy. Frank imagined living there must be so peaceful, but it also looked cold and lonely since it was almost winter now. He still couldn’t imagine neither Gerard nor Mikey there, even in the summer.

Right then, Frank was sitting on the couch, his sister sitting beside him, gushing about the things they’ve been up to since he last saw them, about how she missed her old school, but liked the new school she was going to now. She liked the uniforms, she said, and how they had a wider variety of classes. She talked endlessly about her college applications too.

Frank listened sincerely. He liked how Mia actually loved learning. How she wanted to go to a good college. It made him feel like his mom’s efforts to raise them right hadn’t all gone for nothing. At least it worked on Mia. She was an honor student and already had a scholarship to put her through the school of her choosing. Frank couldn’t be happier to know she was going to have a better life than his.

“Have you talked yourselves out yet or should I come back a few hours later?” 

Their mom interrupted Mia’s animated talk about all the schools she’s applied to with that question. They both looked at her as she came to sit with them on the couch, holding a big plate of cookies that looked to have been fresh out of the oven.

“I don’t think a few hours will even cut it at this point, ma, but we’ll make an exception for cookies.” Frank giggled, already taking a cookie and giving one to Mia. Their mom smiled to them and joined them, Mia already back to her talk about colleges and applications and finals.

The day went on much similarly afterwards. Frank catching up with his family, but keeping the conversation lighthearted for the sake of his little sister. He waited until she was asleep beside him on the sofa, Mikey snoring softly on the near seat by her while they were watching reruns of Supernatural on tv, before he covered her with the blanket on the back of the couch and slipped out.

He found his mom sitting outside with a book, her shawl around her shoulders. She smiled when she spotted him.

“I was thinking when you were going to come look for me.”

Frank smiled, taking the chair opposite hers. She looked quiet peaceful and at place. She looked like she was right at home. He wondered how she felt about leaving their home and coming here.

“Mom, what happened?” He asked, deciding to just be forward. He needed to know what hell was going on.

His mom sighed, taking off her reading glasses and closing her book, she looked down momentarily before she looked up at her son with a sad look.

“You have to know that your dad and I have tried to shield you and Mia form this your whole lives, Frankie.”

Frank instantly felt bad upon his mom’s words. He didn’t want her apologies. She didn’t have anything to apologize for. She did everything she could. He was the fuck up because of himself, not her. She was the best mom he could have ever hoped for, but before he could say anything his mom beat him to it.

“Your dad was a good man, Frankie.” Her voice turned determined, like she was going to fight Frank on this if he disagreed. She shook her head next, looking down to her hands, “he just had obligations, to his family and to you and Mia. He needed to do this for the both of you.”

“Ma, I know this is about dad, but I don’t understand, what does it mea—”

“Those people, Frankie, your dad had made enemies out of them years ago. You have to understand how it was back then. Your dad didn’t have a choice, none of us did. He had to stop the killing or that revenge war wouldn’t have ended. It would have wrecked us all. It would have resulted in your death hadn’t he did what he’s done.” 

Frank couldn’t help feeling relieved, and also confused? If it was about revenge, why was his mom making a big deal of it? Frank must have had a dozen people who wanted him dead already. “So that’s it?” He couldn’t help but ask, “ He killed someone? That’s why they’re after us now?”

His mom shook her head, “he didn’t kill someone from their family, Frankie. Those people were his family, they’re your family.”

“What? Ma, I’m not sure I underst—”

“Your dad’s family was in war with another family, the Adamis, for decades. They had differences and one thing led to another until it turned into a revenge game, someone killed someone from the other family and so they kept on killing each other one by one, your dad was heir to the family when his dad, your grandfather, had died. We had just had Mia, Frankie, and your dad couldn’t fathom the possibility of losing you or her someday, neither could I. So we came up with a plan. Your dad decided to give up everything. He decided to move on from this war that was that was basically killing everyone. He wanted peace and so he made a deal to give the Adamis money and control over areas that belonged to us. They agreed.” His mom was quit for a breath after that, but Frank knew she wasn’t done yet, “your dad got killed a couple of weeks later. I knew it wasn’t the Adamis. It was the family who did it. They hadn’t exactly made it a secret how much they resented your dad and his decisions. They called him a coward, but he didn’t care. When he was killed, I took you and Mia and left. The family left us alone when I told them we were out, that we didn’t want anything to have to do with them anymore.” 

Frank’s head was still spinning over what his mom was telling him, but he would have time to process that later, right now he needed to know everything. 

“So what changed? Why are they after us now?”

“I don’t know, hun, all I know is that they are. It was one of your cousins, Joseph, who kidnapped us. I saw him with my own eyes. If it wasn’t for Gerard—” she didn’t finish, shaking her head. 

Gerard. That was right. Frank needed to know that too. “Ma, was Gerard or the Ways in anyway involved in any of this?”

“No,” His mom shook her head affirmingly, “the Ways came a little later into the area. They were always a family with small influence, until Gerard of course, that boy is smart. He knows what he’s doing.”

Frank nodded, so he still had no idea what was Gerard gain from all of this.

“So why do you think he’s doing this?”

His mom seemed to think about it for a moment, “I don’t really know, Frankie. I thought he was your friend?”

Frank snorted, remembering what he was thinking in the car that morning, “you already know there are no friends in this business, ma.” 

“I do,” His mom nodded, “but I also have a feeling about that boy. He’s a good man. I have a long experience dealing with men in this business, son, and that man might have some gain from helping you, but he has a good heart. I can tell.”

Frank disagreed. He didn’t care what his mom or Mikey said. He knew people in this business too. There were no good guys in this story, and if there were, Gerard Way definitely didn’t fall under that category. Gerard wanted something from him for his help. Frank just had to stick around long enough to know what it was. It wasn’t like he had a choice in that matter anyway, and he didn’t want to argue with his mom. He was tired and still had everything she’s just told him to think about. He and Mikey also still had a long drive to make back home.

…

Frank couldn’t stay in that room any longer.

The walls were suffocating him, closing in on him and threatening to bury him alive in that damn big drifty house. 

It was freezing out there, he forgot how fucking cold Jersey could get in the winter. It wasn’t even November yet and his hands still froze if he left them out of his pockets for too long. Fucking Jersey weather.

He was grumpy and annoyed. He was also slightly drunk. When he had come home a few hours ago, he had found Tony getting drunk and cleaning his gun so he joined him, afterwards he came here. He couldn’t remember how long that had been.

Smoking sounded like a good idea to keep himself warm, but it wasn’t doing much at that point and he wanted to sleep before the state of drunkenness he was in would go away and he had to think about what his mom’s told him. He had done enough of that in the car on the way there.

Basically, nothing’s changed. There were people who wanted to kill him and his family for unknown reasons and he still had no idea why Gerard was fucking helping him. The only difference was that he knew he had thrown away, not only what his mom’s done for him to keep them safe, but what his dad’s lost his life over to keep them safe from.

He wasn’t only a fuck-up now, he was a brilliant one; a double fuck-up.

He giggled at that last thought. He was a double fuck-up. That was funny. He was about to turn around to go to bed before his real thoughts sat in, when there was car lights shown directly into his face. 

He shielded his eyes until the car stopped by the house front door, a little further away from where he stood by the shadow of the wall. A minute later, the door of the car was opened but no one was out yet. When his eyes got used to the dark again, Frank could see the silhouette of two people kissing. He averted his eyes uncomfortably. 

It took Frank until the person who stepped out of the car to get to the lights of the front door, for him to realize it was Gerard. He was smiling, his face was flushed red as he headed for the door of the house.

And okay, maybe Frank was a little bit more drunk than he should’ve been to think this thing through, but he was freezing and angry and the cigarette smoke leaving his lips was doing nothing to make him less cold.

He fucking hated all of this.

His life wasn’t supposed to be like this. He was supposed to have straightened himself out, found a job, a legal job, and to have kept his mother and sister safe. Instead he was here, smoking and freezing his ass off in the shadows, watching two people kissing and being happy while he felt like shit.

And there he was. The primary reason Frank was having an existential crisis in the middle of the night out in the cold by his house. Gerard fucking Way smiling like he just won the fucking lottery. He looked good too, black leather jacket and tight black jeans. Frank wished he was anywhere else. 

“Someone looks happy.” 

That startled him. He looked to where Frank was leaning against the wall, his smile tensing before he relaxed when he saw who it was, his smile only seemed to get bigger.

 “Frank, hey.” He said, waving a little.

“Hey,” Frank replied, he tried not to sound sarcastic, inhaling the last of his cigarette before throwing it to the ground and crushing it with the heel of his boot, thinking he needed to stop looking at the other gorgeous man. Fuck, how did that guy do it? Looking so innocent and charming after the scene Frank’s seen him perform that morning? No, not perform, but actually do. Fuck, Frank, sober the fuck up for goodness sake.

“You okay?” Gerard asked after a moment, his voice sounding gentle, caring. 

“Yeah,” Frank sighed, nodding.

“When did you and Mikey get home?”

Frank rubbed his eyes, “I don’t know,” he mumbled. He actually didn’t, how long has he been standing there? “A few hours?” 

Gerard hesitated but eventually he came closer. Frank froze.

“Frank, you sure you okay? Everything was fine up there?” Gerard’s voice now had some worry in it. Frank wished he didn’t hear the caring too. Why did Gerard care? His mom’s words from that morning came back to him: “He’s a good man... he has a good heart. I can tell.”

“Frank?” Gerard was calling now, his hand had somehow made its way to Frank’s shoulder, and Frank could swear he could feel the heat of it through his leather jacket.

Frank realized he hadn’t replied when Gerard came closer still. 

“Yeah, Yeah.” He said remembering the question and nodding, diverting his eyes from Gerard’s. “Everything is great.”

“Good.” Gerard said, missing Frank’s sarcasm completely and smiling slightly, his hand dropping from Frank’s shoulder. “I’m gonna go in and we’ll talk later, ‘kay? I have something I want to talk to you about when you’re rested.”

“Yeah, sure.” Frank said, swallowing when Gerard moved away. He closed his eyes and let his head hit the wall he was standing by.

What the hell was he doing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last scene is my favorite so far <3 I love how clueless both of them are. I’m also loving writing Gerard here. He’s such a complicated character! 
> 
> Please, tell me what you think? It’s very easy, just type in the big box down there and click the button ;)


	9. IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not spoiling anything, but I think I've written my favorite character so far in this story. Look out for her. She's small with freckles, but so badass even Frank couldn't stand before her ;)
> 
> ...

Frank was laughing like an idiot for the first time in forever. 

Ray wasn't even saying anything particularly funny, but he has been going on and explaining about barbecue sauce for the past fifteen minutes, mentioning their pros and cons so unironically that Frank couldn't hold it in any longer. 

Thankfully, Ray didn't seem to have gotten offended. He just smiled at Frank like he wasn't sure if the other man was okay or not, but Frank was okay. He was just fine. It was just that Ray was talking about barbecue sauce like it was the most exciting thing. Honestly, barbecue sauce. 

"What's so funny?" It was Christa, having come over when she's must've seen Frank doubling over with laughter, Ray standing by him, holding the sauce bottle and smiling uncertainty. 

"Apparently, barbecue sauce is funny for some reason." Ray didn't say it in a way to convey that he was annoyed, more confused really which for some reason got Frank to laugh harder. 

It occurred to Frank that he was really pushing it. His friends have invited him over for dinner and he was grateful. They had gone all out with the food and the wine and everything. Frank couldn't say he's loved them more than that moment when they invited him over, because with the way his life's been working the past few days, he would've driven himself mad with thinking. They were now in the kitchen because Frank insisted that there was no way he wasn't helping with this like some guest and it has been going okay for a while. 

That was until Frank decided to have a fit apparently, laughing like he has never laughed before. He. couldn't. stop. laughing. 

Frank was wheezing now but managed to silence himself before his friends decided to have him admitted to a psych ward. 

"I'm sorry," he said now, reaching for Ray's shoulder, "I'm sorry, Ray. It's just—" he started laughing again but this time he could see the worried looks exchanged between his friends, "you're a like, a sauce wizard now."

Ray laughed in response, it wasn't as loud or enthusiastic as Frank's but was defiantly a nice change form the sole sound of Frank's breathless giggles, "I get it, because of the hair?" 

Christa laughed and turned to turn the stove off, "I think it's because of your extensive knowledge and wisdom of the arts of sauce, Ray." 

Ray looked confused for a second and Frank was on the verge of another fit, but he stopped himself though and nodded, wiping the tears out of his eyes. 

...

Frank was shooed out of the kitchen. 

Well, it wasn't like he got kicked out, or at least that was what he was trying to convince himself of. Anyway, at some point Christa had to make one of her recipes and Ray was still working on something, and they needed someone to keep an eye on Owen so the task fell to Frank, having nothing particularly useful to do in the kitchen. 

Owen was better company anyway. The toddler was becoming his favorite person to hang it with, and that was really saying something. He picked him up and raised him in the air and the kid started giggling instantly. 

"I bet you don't keep secrets, Owen, do you now?" Frank asked the giggling boy who only giggled further as a response, "Yeah, that's what I thought." He answered himself mirroring Owen's giggles. 

It was then that their game was interrupted with the sound of glass crashing. Without thinking, Frank stood up, picked Owen in his arms and ran to the kitchen. 

Once he stepped into the kitchen, he instantly knew something was very wrong. 

Ray was still in the middle of chopping something, and Christa was by the stove, but both were frozen mid motion. It was clear neither of them had broken a glass. 

Frank was reaching for his gun the same moment Ray and Christa caught Owen from his arms and ran to the door. 

...

"Nice of you to join us." 

Frank was greeted with that the moment he walked into the living room. The first thing he saw was Ray and Christa, holding each other and Owen, standing in the corner with a large man in a suit standing by them, holding a gun in his hand. Ray was holding his right arm in his other hand, clearly having been hit on it, and though he looked pissed off, Frank could tell Ray was frightened as well, causing Frank to look away instantly to the other person standing in the other side of the room. 

Frank had to hide his surprise when he saw it was a girl, not much shorter than him, nor even younger. She was stunning alright, with wide brown eyes and long wild blue hair, watching patiently with a smirk on her full lips as Frank took her over. She was young, maybe a couple of younger than Frank himself. Only, what gave away her whole childlike façade was the gun she was holding loosely in her hand by her side. 

"Don't harm them." Was the first thing that left Frank's lips once he could roughly evaluate the situation. He immediately put his gun down on the ground and raised his empty palms up in the air for the girl and the man with her to see. 

The girl chuckled too innocently for the situation that Frank fleetingly thought he might've somehow read the whole thing wrong. The girl looked innocent, with her wide eyes and soft freckles, even her leather jacket and high boots didn't help make her look anything other than totally harmless. 

"I'm not harming anyone, Frank." Her voice was slightly hoarse, but girly. She gestured wildly with her arms, her gun still clutched in one of her waving hands, at the room and sat down, a playfully smile on her lips. "I just want to talk." She shrugged and lent forward with her elbows on her knees, holding her face with her hands. She was still smiling, but something twinkled in her eyes when she said the last sentence that Frank instantly knew this girl wasn't to be missed with, no matter what her appearance conveyed. 

"Fine. We can talk, just let them go. They have nothing to do with this." Frank tried to not let his voice quiver, but the flashbacks to the night his mom and sister got taken away kept playing in his head and he couldn't let his best friend's family have the same fate. He had to act fast. 

The girl giggled again, and covered her face with her hands, before she stood up and walked to Frank, her smile dropping gradually. She circled him, holding the tip of her gun to the side of her face and looking at him through her lashes. 

"Do I look like someone asking for opinions?" Frank had to do a double take at who said that, because all the innocence that was in her voice a second ago was completely gone and she sounded borderline pissed off. 

"Listen, just—" before he could finish his sentence Frank was on his knees, sharp pain spreading through his spine up to his skull. When he came to it, he realized it was the girl who had just kicked him in the back with her gun. How the hell did that petite thing even do that?! 

"You got it all wrong, sweetie." The girl whispered to him now, her voice going back to playful, "I'm the one who's going to talk and you're the one who's going to listen." 

Frank closed his mouth and just looked at the girl as she skipped, literally fucking skipped, away from him. She stood a few feet away, her hands behind her back. 

"First off, I think we should be introduced, don't you think?" She asked sweetly, "I'm Ashley, but people call me Halsey." She pointed at herself, talking like they were being introduced at some fucking party or something, "and you're Frank, the missing link." She chuckled, "did I get that right?"

The missing link? What the hell? 

Halsey or whatever her name was, smirked, "oh, Joe's told me all about you, our famously elusive hitman, wasn't it?" She raised her eyebrows and pointed at him asking that like she was waiting for an answer, "or should I say our elusive cousin?" She laughed at the look her last word resulted with in Frank's face. 

She was his cousin? 

"Now that I've got your attention, dear cousin, let's talk about the most obvious thing," she paused for dramatic effect, "Gerard Way, cousin? Really?" She asked with disgust and a roll of her eyes followed when Frank's eyes widened. 

"How do you—"

"Oh, we know a lot of things about you, cousin." She dismissed, "like how Way gotten that... well.." she stopped herself and smiled at Frank, "your dear mother from us?" She supplied the term in a way clearly implying what she's meant to say in the first place. Frank gritted his teeth to stop himself from physically launching at the blue haired bitch, the gun in her and the man with her be damned. 

"What does Way have to do with anything?" Frank asked instead, his voice coming out strangely calm. 

Halsey's eyes widened comically, "he has plenty, cousin dear." she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the universe, "see, Frank, we know Way is leaving the city to meet someone very important tonight, and we need you to tell us who that someone is." 

Frank's only answer was a chuckle. Even if he had any idea who Gerard was meeting that night, she was going to know form him over his fucking dead body. 

Halsey smiled widely at that like she was expecting his reaction. She knitted her fingers under her chin, watching Frank closely for a moment, the ghost of her smile clear around her lips. "Oh, loving being Way's loyal dog, aren't we now?" 

Frank scoffed at the smiling girl in front of him, she was expecting that to work on him? 

Halsey giggled and brought her hand up to her mouth pretending to hide her smile when Frank didn't say anything to that. She looked at him through her lashes, smiling. 

A moment later, Halsey finally stood up and skipped again across the room, her hands clutched behind her back. 

"You know, Frank, Joe was so sure you would know where our dear Gerard would be tonight," she said now counting on her fingers, "who he's meeting and why." She shrugged as she stopped before him and she kneeled down, brining the tip of her gun underneath his chin, pushing his head up, "but me? I'm sure you don't." She said with a smile. Frank narrowed his eyes at her, "you have no idea where he is, don't you, Frankie?"

Frank didn't answer but Halsey must've seen something in his eyes because her smile quickly turned to a smirk and she brought her gun down. 

"Tell you what, dear cousin, how about we talk when we have more common ground? I told Joe you wouldn't be easily persuaded at this point, but eh, our cousin has never been one to listen, hasn't he? I think that now you know who your family is really, you'd make the right choice, so till next time?" 

Frank didn't even have time to ask what the hell the little demon with blue hair was talking about, let alone answer, before his whole world turned black. 

...

"Frank, come on. Frank, answer me."

Frank's vision was blurry, but he could recognize Ray's voice and something cold being pressed against his face. He blinked a few more times, his vision gradually clearing and now he could feel the blinding headache in the base of his skull too. 

When his vision was finally clear enough, Frank could see it was Ray who was holding a damp cloth against his face, looking at him with concern. He shot up sitting once what happened before he blacked out flashed in his head. Sitting, however, proved to be a horrible idea because his vision blurred even worse than before and his headache throbbed violently, his body protesting to the sudden movement. Thankfully, Ray clutched his shoulders now, stopping him from swaying and falling back. 

"It's okay, Frank. She's gone." Ray said, moving back away from him when Frank was steady enough. 

"Owen and Christa?" He instantly asked. 

"I told her to take Owen and leave. It's not safe for them here anymore." Ray explained easily. 

"You stayed," Frank had meant it as question at first, but it didn't come out that way, because of course Ray fucking stayed. 

Frank's heart sank, this was why he wanted to never come back here. He's just put his best friend and his family's lives in danger. He almost got them killed. He shouldn't have come here at all. 

"Of course I stayed, you moron." Ray answered, cutting off Frank's panicking thoughts, "how do you feel?" 

Frank touched the back of his head and when his hand came back non-bloody, he said: "that bitch got me." He shrugged, "but I'm okay."

"Good," Ray said instantly, "now, you can go find Way."

Frank wondered if the hit on his head made him miss something because if he was going to find someone, it was that blue haired crazy bitch or the asshole who sent her and kill them both. 

Ray rolled his eyes at the expression on Frank's face, "Halsey is not the person you need to focus on right now." Ray started explaining like he was talking to his toddler, "remember what she said?"

"That she wanted to talk when we have "more common ground"?" He air quoted, confused. 

"Yes," Ray nodded, "and knowing about where Way was?" 

Frank was about to ask what the hell that got to do with anything when it clicked. 

"You think they're...?" He asked hesitantly. 

Ray nodded, "i don't think they need to know who he's meeting to attack, do you? Especially now that that you refused to help them, they have to attack before you warn him. You still don't want to help them, right?" Ray added that last question like an afterthought but he still looked like he wanted an answer. 

"After attacking mom and Mia? There's no way in hell I'll do anything for them." He answered instantly, after killing his dad? His "family" can go screw themselves for all he cared. If there was anyone he was helping, it was the only person who helped him. 

"I agree. You can't trust them. Your best shot at getting out of this at this point is Way." Ray reasoned. 

Frank nodded, already formulating a plan in his head until he remembered, "you and Christa..." he started. 

"We'll be fine." Ray dismissed, but there was a twitch to his jaw as he averted his eyes from Frank's, "we have made plans for a situation like this. Don't worry about us. Go keep your own family safe, let me worry about mine."

Frank's heart sank. He hadn't meant for them to get hurt. He had never meant for anyone to get hurt. "Ray, you know I'm sorr—"

"Don't you even dare, man." Ray silenced him, standing up, and then helped Frank, "it's not like I'm the most innocent person in all of this." he gestured easily. Frank knew that, but it was because of him that they got attacked tonight. 

"You need to go." Ray interrupted him before he could say anything, "find Way and stop them." He ordered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god, I've never loved or enjoyed writing any character like Halsey here ever before. I lowkey wanted her to kick Frank's ass, haha. Anyways, what I wanted to say is that the character was heavily influenced by Halsey's songs' Gasoline and Angel on Fire. I listened to them on repeat while creating her. Her song, Alone, however, was the main influence for the chapter in whole and Frank's actions during it. (I just love that song and Halsey). 
> 
> Next chapter is one of my favorites (who am I kidding, this whole story is my favorite at this point. Let's just pretend I'm not loving each chapter I write more than the one before it, k?)
> 
> Tell me what you think, please?  I'll update faster!


	10. X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit I might've gotten overboard with some of the things I've written for the plot. Sorry if it's slightly more unrealistic than usual.

Mikey’s car was the single most infuriatingly slowest vehicle on the planet at that very second.

Frank swore and punched the steering wheel in frustration as he had to stop to let another car pass by him. He imagined Miley giving him a glare at the way he was treating his most precious position, but Frank was so desperate at that point that he didn’t care. He pressed harder on the gas, he needed to get to Gerard before that bitch did first. He needed to get there as fast as he could.

It’s been exactly a half hour since Frank left Ray’s and got to Mikey to know where Gerard has gone for the night, asking to borrow the former’s car to get there faster. Mikey had asked for details and questioned the blood running down the side of Frank’s head, but Frank didn’t have time to explain, he tried to assure him everything was fine, but Mikey wouldn’t take it and it ended with Frank promising he’d keep Gerard safe, because Mikey was apparently a fucking mind reader and somehow sensed his brother was in danger. He practically threatened Frank he’d not let him leave alone, if he didn’t promise, so Frank did just as he jumped into the car and drove off.

Frank just hoped he’d get to keep his promise tonight

Frustratingly, Frank could tell he was about five minutes away from where Mikey’s told him Gerard would be, it was the fucking traffic that was holding up the whole street, that was frustrating him. The whole street was fucking blocked, even though there was a total of three cars in front of him and the fact that they were in the most distal parts of the city. It was like there was a barricade at the end of the fucking street or something…

Frank hit his head with his hand when he put two and two together. Of course the whole street was blocked. He killed the engine off and got out, locking the car behind him and leaving it in the middle of the street, it wasn’t like the damn traffic was going away anytime soon anyway.

…

“Tony!”

Frank called out once he was close enough to see the silhouette of the man by the car stopping the street. He could tell it was Tony, but he didn’t dare come closer than the closest car to where he could see James standing beside Tony, both leaning back on the side of their car.

It was a known trick, especially in places that were in the distal parts of the city and under the protection of certain gangs, and one a gang feared like Gerard’s certainly could pull, especially whoever they were meeting had influence as well. They’d stop the traffic going into one street where a meetup or something else important was going to be held. People usually compiled and the police would rarely get involved.

Frank didn’t make a move at getting closer, Tony didn’t have the best eyesight and Frank wasn’t taking any more risks in trying to get himself shot that night. He still felt like an idiot though, he should’ve fucking known it was the guys holding up the street. Gerard must’ve been meeting someone very important.

Eventually, Tony turned in the direction of his calls, and Frank could see the surprise wash over his face as he recognized who was calling. He waved Frank over right away.

Frank jogged towards the car.

“What are you doing here, Frankie? Is everything okay?” Tony asked right away, before Frank even had the chance to catch his breath. The fuss caught James attention and he came closer as well, looking equally surprised at seeing Frank there.

Frank waved his hand, “everything is okay. I just..” he didn’t know how to explain, he had a feeling Gerard was in danger? “I just need to see Gerard.” He answered instead, trying to let his voice show how urgent it was. “Where’s he?”

James and Tony exchanged looks at that and Frank was ready to start explaining the minute his eye caught movement behind the guys.

James was saying something as answer but Frank wasn’t listening. He just noticed Tony also catching the movement as well as Frank realized it was a kid that was running and crossing the distance between the last car and where Frank stood with the other guys. The same distance Frank himself didn’t dare cross knowing he’d be instantly be shot if he did. He could tell it was a little girl, maybe a couple years younger than Mia in the few seconds he could see Tony taking out his gun and cocking it.

“Tony, no!” Frank shouted the second Tony aimed his gun at the kid. Fucking hell, they were killing children now?

Tony looked at him and that was all it took for the kid to have crossed over. Frank ignored Tony and ran up to the kid instead and stopped her from getting any closer, dragging her to the side of the street once he was sure it was only her.

“Hey, hey!” Frank shouted at the kid who was trying to fight him off, “kid, calm down!”

The girl stopped resisting by the time Tony came closer, his gun still in his hand, shaking his head at Frank.

“Let me go!” The girl shouted feebly and Frank rolled his eyes.

“Frank, we have orders to shoot anyone who crosses the street over.” Tony complained, but his gun was down.

Frank pushed the girl away to the side, “we’re not killing kids, dude.” He answered dismissively, not even looking at Tony. He looked at the girl instead. She was young, too young to be out there by herself. The way she was dressed reminded him of when he tried to look older when he was her age though, with her ripped jeans and worn out leather jacket. She didn’t look at him, crossing her arms over her chest and staring at her shoes angrily.

Tony rolled his eyes and put his gun back in its holder, “Fine, you’re telling Gerard about this, man.”

“Fine, where’s he?” He gave the kid a last look and looked back at Tony who had his hands crossed over his chest now and sighed.

“You sure this is important?” Tony asked.

Frank clenched his jaw and nodded.

…

The place was deserted when Frank stepped into it.

It was obvious it was an old bar. Frank wondered if it was abandoned, but it didn’t seem to be with how clean it looked and all the drinks stacked behind the bar, even though there was no one behind it to serve them.

The tables and a small lit stage in the corner looked ominously empty as Frank passed by them, but he ignored it, making his way to the back room Tony described to him.

There were evident voices behind the closed door at the end of the back corridor where Frank stood, the quiet place helping in carrying them over easily to his ears. He stepped closer and made his way there. Before he could come any closer though, he could hear the sound of the safety pin of a gun behind him and he rolled his eyes.

He raised his arms up.

“Listen, I’m here to speak to Gerard Way. I’m one of his—” before he could finish explaining however, the tip of the gun behind him was pushing on his back pushing him to kneel down. He did, his hands behind his head, “men.” He finished as the person behind him circled him and stood in front of him, their gun aimed to Frank’s face.

“What’s your name?” The person spoke and Frank could tell it was a woman now that she stood in front of him, wearing a suit of all things.

“Frank Iero.” He answered.

“What’s going on?” Someone asked urgently from behind the woman, coming closer and bearing over her shoulder, looking at Frank. They were wearing a suit as well and Frank wondered if he’s somehow stepped into an episode of some shitty FBI tv show as the two people in suits whispered to each other.

The woman didn’t lower her gun, she kept whispering back to the man who still had his eyes glued on Frank. Eventually, the man left and came back a minute later. He nodded to the woman who pursed her lips and lowered her gun reluctantly.

“Wait here.” She ordered and turned around to follow the man back to the room.

…

Frank has been waiting for exactly two minutes when he could see Gerard making his way to him, his steps urgent and his face clearly pissed off.

Frank tried to talk but before he could say anything, Gerard gestured for him to stay quiet. He didn’t waste time once he was close enough and gripped Frank’s arm, pulling him forcibly to a side room far away from the one he exited, locking the door behind them immediately.

“Jesus, who’re you meeting in there? The fucking President?” Frank asked before Gerard had even let him go.

Gerard shook his head and pushed Frank away unnecessarily rough. “What the hell happened? Is Mikey okay?”

“Mikey’s Fine.” Frank replied.

“Then what the fuck are you doing here?” He hissed angrily now.

Frank clenched his jaw, “someone’s trying to kill you.” He spat back just as pissed off, refraining from adding you asshole at the end of that sentence.

“What?” Gerard replied still obviously annoyed, “that’s why you decided to crash the meeting? Jesus fuck, Frank, someone’s always trying to kill me!” He was clearly refraining from shouting, he closed his eyes instead and rubbed the bridge of his nose, like he didn’t have it in him to even deal with Frank right then.

Frank felt foolish. He was trying to save the man’s life and that was how he was being repaid? “You don’t understand,” he tried again and Gerard glanced at him, “they attacked my friend’s house tonight, Gerard.”

That got his attention and Gerard turned to fully at him, “they wanted me to tell them who you’re meeting here tonight. They know you’re here.”

Gerard’s narrowed his eyes and his jaw fell in surprise. Frank was right, Gerard had no idea what was going on.

“Stay here,” Gerard ordered right away and went to the door, but before he could open it, Frank could see the door move before shattering in front of them.

Frank could see the explosion before he could hear it.

On instinct, Frank pulled Gerard towards him and threw both of their bodies to the far side of the room, shielding them from the shattered wood and debris that blew their way.

…

The whole thing must’ve taken less than a minute, but Frank felt like a lifetime had passed before he had pushed himself away from Gerard, who was thankfully moving and pushing himself up as well. He coughed and squinted at the dust that was still settling. Eventually, they both stood up and looked at the destruction before them.

Now that Frank could see clearer by the minute as the the dust settled, he could see it wasn’t as bad as he had thought at first. Most of the building’s structure was standing, but the door and part of the wall in front of them had shattered and, when they stepped out of it, most of the damage had been made to the main area of the club, where the empty tables and small stage Frank’s passed by earlier were.

Frank left Gerard behind and stepped closer. No one seemed hurt from the looks of it; an important looking old man in a suit were standing by the door of the room from earlier, while the woman who caught Frank sneaking in and the man who was with her were talking urgently to each other and their phones, not even sparing Gerard or Frank a look.

“Frank! Gerard!”

It was James who was calling now. Frank realized Gerard had followed him as they both turned around to see James, pall faced and running towards them.

“Oh, thank god you guys are okay.” He breathed when he gave them a onceover. “What the hell happened?” He asked.

“Shouldn’t we ask you guys that? Has someone attacked us?” Frank looked at Gerard as he said that. He didn’t seem so surprised now or even angry, just practical. He had dust all over him, his hair and even his rediculously long eyelashes.

“No,” James shook his head, “we were standing out in the street all night until we heard the explosion. No one came through us.”

“The kid,” Frank muttered once it clicked in his brain, Gerard looked at him, questioning, but before he could explain, Tony was coming over.

“The fucking kid attacked me!” He shouted at Frank, “she ran away and threw a fucking bomb at the place!”

Frank wanted to explain, especially that Gerard was looking at him with increasing confusion now, but before he could, someone was calling Gerard over and he left. It was then that Frank noticed the line of blood along the side of Gerard’s face tickling towards his chin.

He looked away.

….

Frank’s fridge was completely empty.

Frank had forgotten how long it’s been since he came back to his apartment last, let alone when he last bought groceries. It must’ve been weeks ago since he had even stepped foot into the place.

The place looked the same. All his stuff were scattered all over the place; his clothes, books and dvds on every surface. He sighed at them, wondering when the place had started feeling so foreign to him.

Frank had left with the others once the cops and ambulance had arrived. Gerard kept giving him weird looks, but they didn’t talk. He deliberately took Mikey’s car back, alone, arriving first at the house and giving Mikey his keys back. He left once he could explain to Mikey what happened as roughly as he could, because he wasn’t sure how much Gerard wanted him to know, not that he was exactly sure of what happened himself.

The apartment suddenly looked very depressing from where he stood. He sighed and walked to the living room, and despite being dead tired, started cleaning every surface around, willing his brain not to think and focusing on organizing his books and dvds into their places.

About fifteen minutes later, the place was spotless and Frank was still miserable.

A knock on the door startled him.

For a moment, Frank panicked thinking Halsey or someone from her people had followed him there. He took his gun out of his jeans and moved slowly to the door. When he looked through the magic eye, however, he froze for a second, trying to figure out if he had started imagining things now on top of everything else.

Frank opened the door slowly and stared at Gerard standing there, looking as perfect as always. He wore a long black coat over his clothes from earlier and his hair was an utter mess of black locks over his head. Frank wondered if he had washed it or just ran some water through it after all the dust that covered it from earlier.

Gerard didn’t speak right away, he just looked at Frank steadily.

“Hey,” he greeted eventually.

Frank blinked, Gerard finally talking making him realize he wasn’t imagining the man being there. “What are you going here?” He asked before he could stop himself.

“I came to see you,” his answer almost sounded rehearsed, but Frank didn’t really pay attention to that, he looked around the deserted corridor and then back at Gerard in disbelieve.

“You're _alone_?!” He didn’t mean to sound so angry, but really? Gerard came to his apartment alone after everything that happened that night?

“I’m not alone.” Gerard answered easily, “I’m with you.”

Frank rolled his eyes and held the door with his hand, “Gerard,” he shook his head, tiredly sighing, “what are you doing here?”

“Aren’t you going to let me in?”

Frank blinked, feeling like an idiot because Gerard’s question actually surprised him, “sure, yeah, come on in.” He opened the door and avoided Gerard’s eyes as he passed beside him to get in. He tucked his gun back into his jeans as he followed Gerard in.

“So this is your apartment?” Gerard asked coversatingly having gotten into the living room now. He looked odd there, like he didn’t belong. Frank’s never imagined him there before, but there he stood, tall and gorgeous in Frank’s overly clean living room.

Frank shook his head at his thoughts and followed him, “yeah,” he answered unnecessarily.

“It’s, _uh_ , organized.” Gerard said with a chuckle, running his hand through his already messy curls.

“Yeah, well.” He answered, wondering why it was so awkward now with them alone standing there. Frank’s been alone with Gerard before, why was he making it so weird all of a sudden? “How’s your head?” He asked now.

Gerard turned to look at him upon his question, his eyebrows knitting like he didn’t know what Frank was even talking about before he seemed to remember, “it’s good, just a scratch.” He answered, touching the side of his head where Frank’s seen the blood before.

“Good,” Frank answered, looking away again, “Um, would you like some coffee?”

“Always.” Gerard answered instantly, grinning. Frank had forgotten how good he looked when he smiled, he hadn’t seen him smile in forever.

“Yeah, uh, sure, give me a second.” He stuttered like an moron, turning around and going into the kitchen.

Gerard’s steps followed him there. Frank could hear the sound of his ridiculously enormous boots he always liked to wear getting closer until they stopped by the kitchen door.

“So tonight,” Gerard started.

Frank tried not to visibly react to that, he didn’t want to think about it, and if Gerard was there to give him shit about it, he really wasn’t in the mood. He tried to focus on placing the filters in the machine.

“You left before we got home?” Gerard asked again.

Frank cleared his throat, focusing on the spoon in his hand as he filled it with the brown powder, “I saw that you guys were good. I didn’t have anything else to do. I’ve done enough anyway.”

Frank risked a look at Gerard between spooning the coffee. He was leaning on the kitchen door frame, arms crossed over his chest and his ankles crossed. It caught Frank off guard how relaxed and at home he looked, he was even slightly smiling.

“Well, you saved my life. You saved everyone’s lives.”

Frank rolled his eyes at that, but still nodded, finishing preparing the machine and pushing the button, the familiar sound of it filling the kitchen. He didn’t look at Gerard and leant on his hands at the counter, looking at the coffee machine like it held the secret to life. On second thoughts, maybe it did.

“Frank,” Gerard called gently after a while, but Frank still didn’t look at him. It was then that the machine had started pouring the coffee out and he filled their cups one by one. He walked to Gerard to give him his and tried to leave the kitchen, but Gerard wouldn’t budge, hoarding the door and preventing him from stepping out of it.

“What happened tonight,” Gerard started again, moving now and allowing Frank to slip out, but when Frank ignored him and moved aside, he grabbed Frank’s arm and though it was a gently hold, Frank realized he couldn’t move away.

“Won’t happen again,” Frank finished for him.

“ _Wasn’t_ your fault,” Gerard corrected, “you saw a kid about to be hurt and you saved her life.”

Frank chuckled humorlessly, “I was coming over to warn you from being attacked and I let your attacker through, Gerard. If I hadn’t come, Tony would’ve taken care of it and nothing would’ve happened.” He looked up at Gerard, challenging he him to counter that and instantly regretted it, because Gerard looked guilty of all things and Frank honestly didn’t know what to do with that.

“Maybe.” Gerard finally agreed with a shrug, dropping his eyes.

“I got distracted and I almost got everyone else killed. I almost got you killed.” he went on, looking away again, he couldn’t stand the way Gerard was looking at him, all understanding. He didn’t want it.

“But you didn’t. You saved my life.”

“I put you in danger in the first place. I could’ve lost…. I could’ve destroyed everything.” He corrected himself at the last moment. What was he saying? Was he really going to say he could have lost Gerard? How could he lose something he’s never had?

“Why did you come warn me?” Gerard asked now, causing Frank to look at him again, confused, “they’re your family.” He explained shortly.

Everything around them suddenly sounded so quiet and Frank was afraid to talk. He tried to hide how he didn’t even know the answer that himself.

“A family who attacked my mother and sister, what kind of family does that?” He repeated the same answer he gave Ray earlier.

Gerard didn’t answer, he just held Frank’s gaze, searching, and Frank looked back but quickly felt obliged to look away. Gerard’s eyes were so unguarded and Frank knew if he looked hard enough he’d end up seeing something so essential to who Gerard was, something too intimate to be shared with someone who was, on some level at least, still a stranger.

“You know, sometimes I think about how I should’ve left everyone alone a long time ago.” He said to his shoes instead, feeling increasingly vulnerable, yet he knew it was better than doing the extremely stupid thing his brain wanted him to.

“I should’ve never come back. I had to because of mom,” he rambled on, “but I think they would’ve still been fine without me. Mia would’ve gotten into some Ivy League school and mom would’ve been proud of the one kid who wasn’t a screw up…”

Gerard didn’t say anything to that and Frank felt lighter for some reason which was weird. Shouldn’t he he feel uncomfortable? Or at least like he’s said so much? Why did it feel right to just say this to Gerard? What the hell was wrong with him?

“What happened tonight won’t happen again. I won’t let it.” Frank assured.

Gerard nodded to that, his eyes shining with something warm as he slowly dropped his hand from Frank’s arm.

Without really discussing it, Frank guided Gerard back to the living room and they both sat down, each sipping their drink silently, without even turning the lights on. Frank had turned the wall lights on a few minutes before Gerard had arrived and he didn’t bother with any more lights thinking he was going to spend the night alone.

“When I was about fifteen, our parents got divorced and Mikey and I started living with our grandparents,” Gerard started, his voice quiet in the silent room, “It was usual in our family to leave school at that point anyway, start to be homeschooled, but grandpa didn’t want that, no matter how many times I’ve begged him to. He used to say that forming social circles at school was important as well as having a formal education, but I hated it. People feared my family and my grandpa but that didn’t mean they liked me, and, god, I hated math,” he chuckled at that, the sound nicely echoing in the room.

Frank smiled and sipped from his coffee silently. He just looked at Gerard as he talked but he didn’t say anything, just listened.

“It was Mikey who was the smart one. Always good with the math and all that, couldn’t run a hundred meters without wheezing to save his life, but smart enough to get the crap beaten out of him everyday of his life if missing with him hadn’t meant missing with his family.” He chuckled again.

“I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.” He eventually added, rubbing his face with his hands and then looking at Frank who couldn’t tell if he was entirely successful in disguising how offended he felt.

“I mean,” Gerard said now, looking down at his shoes, “I’m rambling and I don’t know what I’m even trying to say,” he sighed, “Mikey went to Princeton, you knew that?”

Frank shook his head, “I didn’t,” he said.

Gerard smirked at that, “well, he did. He was smart enough. He is smart enough.” He let out another sigh, “he was away from this almost all his life.” He took a breath at that, “he was supposed to stay away, he was supposed to be—”

“Different?” Frank finished for him.

“Yeah,” Gerard smiled at him. “He was supposed to stay away from all of this. He was supposed to never get involved. I thought I had made it so damn sure he wasn’t going to be. But things happen, you know?”

Frank knew, but he didn’t say it aloud.

“I guess what I’m saying is that you can’t always control things, Frank. They just happen. Too many variables play into everything and you can’t predict what’s going to happen no matter how hard you try, especially where human beings are involved.”

“Sometimes I wish I could.” Frank whispered back, he wasn’t even sure that Gerard’s heard him, but the other man didn’t say anything further, he just turned his head towards Frank and looked at him silently. They were both comfortably leaning on the back of the couch and Frank was so close to Gerard that he could see the sadness deeply engraved in there. It was like Gerard couldn’t hold it any longer, or maybe just didn’t have the energy to anymore.

Frank realized they have been gradually inching towards each other the second Gerard moved his face towards the door of his apartment. “I think I should leave,” Gerard whispered, making no hint at even wanting to move, “tonight’s been hectic enough and you need to sleep.”

It took a moment, but when Franks brain apparently processed what he’s just heard, all he came up with was  
“What?”

“I’m leaving?” Gerard repeated, attempting to stand up.

Frank didn’t even know what he was thinking when his hand moved and grabbed Gerard’s arm. “No you’re not.” He said. Gerard didn’t try to move further, but he gave Frank a confused look causing him to add, “you’re alone and unarmed, you’re not going out like this.”

Gerard all but rolled his eyes, “Frank, I’m used to—”

“Not after tonight.” Frank interrupted firmly, but let go of Gerard’s arm all the same. “Mikey’s made me promise to keep you safe tonight. So you either have to stay or I’ll have to go out with you, and since I’m not planning on to going out anytime soon, you’re staying.”

Frank had no idea where his determination to keep Gerard at his apartment for the night had come from, but now that he thought about it, he wasn’t letting him go out into the dark streets alone and unarmed, not after everything that happened tonight and not when Mikey made him swear he’d keep his brother safe.

“So you’re giving me orders now?” Gerard asked, his eyebrows up to his hairline, but he didn’t seem upset, mostly amused if Frank was being honest.

“It’s either that or Miley kills us both. So,” Frank argued.

Gerard gave him a genuine smile at that, “I’ll stay.” He answered quietly.

“Good.”

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh, I love that last scene so much. It's so sweet and I WANTED THEM TO KISS SO BAD. IM SUCH A BAD PERSON. I also loved Frank just wanting to protect Gerard. He's so clueless, honestly *faceplam*
> 
> Anyway, guys, please tell me what you think?


End file.
